PYEONGCHANG, South Korea – Chloe Kim’s dad repeated one word as his daughter stood at the top of the Olympic halfpipe for her victory lap, gold medal already assured.
“Imugi!” Jong-Jin Kim yelled, standing well behind the finish corral. “Imugi!”
Earlier Tuesday morning, Jong texted his 17-year-old daughter, a first generation Korean-American, before the biggest contest of her life.
“Today is the day imugi turns to dragon,” Jong said he messaged her. “She said hahahahaha, thank you very much.”
It’s a story that Kim has heard over and over again, according to an ESPN profile.