“Pang Chol Mi, can I give you a hug?” This was the question Im Ae Ji, who won bronze in the women’s 54 kg boxing category at the Paris Olympics, asked when reflecting on her podium experience. Standing alongside North Korea’s Pang Chol Mi, who also took third place, Im’s spontaneous remark highlighted the strong bond between the two athletes.
Im Ae Ji narrowly lost 2-3 to Hatice Akbas, representing Turkey in the semifinals of the women’s 54kg boxing category at the Paris Olympics, which were held at the Nord Paris Arena.
Im secured a bronze medal by missing out on the finals without competing in the 3rd-4th place match. In Olympic boxing, bronze medals are awarded to both semifinal losers without a separate match. This achievement marks Im as South Korea’s first-ever Olympic female boxing medalist.
The medal ceremony for the women’s 54 kg boxing category will take place on the 9th at 5:51 AM at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, following the conclusion of the finals in the same weight class.
Coincidentally, athletes from both North and South Korea will stand side by side on the third-place podium to receive bronze medals. Pang, who competed in the semifinals before Im, secured a bronze medal after losing to Chang Yuan of China by decision.
This Paris tournament marks the second time North and South Korean athletes have shared the podium. Previously, mixed doubles silver medalists Ri Jong Sik and Kim Geum Yong and bronze medalists Im Jong Hoon and Shin Yu Bin achieved the same. Im and Pnag will now stand side by side, adding a special significance to this event.
We’ve also noticed a closer interaction between North and South Korean athletes. Typically, North Korean athletes avoid the South Korean team at international competitions. However, Im and Pang have built friendships since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.
Their relationship goes beyond casual greetings; it’s genuinely affectionate. Im reports that Pang frequently offers words of encouragement like “You’ve grown a lot” or “Stay strong” whenever they meet at the athlete’s village, training facilities, or competition venues. Im fondly refers to Bang as “Unni,” which means “older sister” in Korean.
At this year’s Paris tournament medal ceremony, the medalists will take a group photo with Samsung Electronics’ smartphones, the official sponsor. Im and Pang will naturally join this selfie moment when they receive their medals.
Im, who had often imagined standing on the podium, now contemplates which pose to strike alongside Pang.
Excited and happy, Im nonetheless expressed some disappointment about sharing third place with Pang. She aimed to demonstrate her progress by securing a higher position than Pang.
They would have competed for the final gold medal if both had won their semifinal matches. However, neither Im nor Pang reached that stage.
Im expressed regret, saying, “when I heard that Pang lost in the semifinals, I really wanted to advance to the final and stand higher on the podium. I wanted to beat her this time. But I also lost, so we ended up standing side by side on the podium. It didn’t turn out the way I wanted.”