Coach Ahn Chang-rim, a Korean Olympic medalist in Japan, assists with training at the Jincheon Athletes’ Village. “I just relay my experience of failure These two players are much better than me.”
Korean-Japanese Three Musketeers
“I am just a messenger conveying the experience of failure. Heo Mimi and Kim Ji-su are much better players than me and will definitely achieve good results at the 2024 Paris Olympics.“
Gyeongbuk Sports Council coach Ahn Chang-rim (30), a bronze medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is sweating profusely with the juniors of the national team at the Jincheon Athletes’ Village in North Chungcheong Province.
Coach Ahn Chang-rim, who was born and raised in Japan, is working as a national team training partner to help Korean women in Japan national judo team Heo Mimi (21) and Kim Ji-su (23, Gyeongbuk Sports Council) who are following the same path as him.
Coach Ahn Chang-rim met with Yonhap News at the 2024 Paris Olympic Judo Team Media Day event held at the Jincheon Athletes’ Village on the 13th and did not hide his expectations while heaping praise on Korean residents in Japan Heo Mimi and Kim Ji-su.
Coach Ahn Chang-rim is called a pioneer of the national judo team from a Korean in Japan.
Coach Ahn Chang-rim, who was born in Kyoto, Japan, went to elementary, middle, and high school in Japan, but did not naturalize as his parents taught him not to give up his Korean nationality, and moved to Korea in 2014 to begin his second life as a Korean judo athlete. .
Afterwards, he won medals in numerous international competitions as a leading athlete in the men’s 73kg class, and retired after winning a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Heo Mimi and Kim Ji-su are also following the same path as Ahn Chang-rim.
Born in Tokyo, Japan in 2002, Mimi Heo is of Korean descent with a Korean father and Japanese mother.
Following his grandmother’s will, which said, “I hope to play as a player for the Korean national team,” he renounced his Japanese citizenship in 2021 and resumed his career as a player in Korea.
Jisoo Kim is also a third generation Korean-Japanese born in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan in 2000.
The two athletes are strong candidates for medals at the Paris Olympics.
Mimi Heo won the gold medal at the 2024 International Judo Federation (IJF) World Championships held last month, becoming the first Korean female athlete to reach the top of the world championships in 29 years.
Jisoo Kim is in good spirits recently, winning the women’s 63kg class at the IJF Antalya Grand Slam last March.
Coach Ahn Chang-rim knows the feelings of the two players better than anyone else.
The two players are sharing their experience of standing on top of the world despite being called ‘traitors’ in Japan and ‘strangers’ in Korea.
Coach Ahn Chang-rim said, “Actually, the two players are different from me. When I first came to Korea, I needed a lot of time to adapt to the Korean culture and training methods, but the two players adapted quickly with their strong mentality and positive attitude. Better than me. “They are much better players,” he praised.
In addition, he said, “I am just conveying my experience as a failure.” He added, “For example, I failed to win a medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, which was my first time competing, because of my arrogance, and I am sharing that memory with Heo Mimi (who is competing in the Olympics for the first time).” .
He added, “There is no arrogance in Mimi Heo,” and added, “I am confident that she will definitely show her skills at the Paris Games, her first Olympics.”
Coach Ahn Chang-rim sincerely wishes the two players success.
Coach Ahn said, “I was thrilled when Heo Mimi won the World Championships last month. It was the first time in my life that I was so happy that someone other than me won first place.”
Coach Ahn’s mere presence is a great help to the two players.
Kim Ji-su smiled brightly, saying, “Coach Ahn Chang-rim was originally a Korean-Japanese older brother, but now he is a coach. I learned a lot of skills and I feel reassured.”
Heo Mimi, who was next to him, smiled and said, “Me too.” 스포츠토토