sports

Kim Mi Rae and Jo Jin Mi are among the top ten players of the DPRK in 2024. They finished runners-up in the women's 10m platform synchronized diving and Kim Mi Rae also came third in the women's 10m platform diving in the 33rd Olympic Games held last year.

As a result, they became the first Olympic medalists in diving in the DPRK.

From artistic gymnastics to diving

Kim Mi Rae is a diver of the Pyongyang Sports Club. 

Originally, she learned to play artistic gymnastics at the then Sosong District Juvenile Sports School. Reportedly, she had an unusually good motor nerve and was intelligent.

One day when she went swimming with her friends to the indoor swimming pool of Kim Il Sung University, she happened to go up the diving tower and jumped into water. It was very interesting and she continued to dive.

As a result, she was selected as a suitable player for the diving event and took the first step of her playing career as a diver at the then Ryongnamsan Sports Club.

And some years later, she began to demonstrate her ability in international and domestic competitions.

In 2014, Kim Mi Rae acquitted herself well in the DPRK Championships and was recognized as a national star.

And she finished runner-up in the women's 10m platform synchronized diving of the then 2015 FINA Grand Prix diving tournament to distinguish herself as a world-class ace, and achieved excellent results in different international competitions.

She was awarded the title of Merited Athlete and selected as one of the top 10 players of the DPRK in 2017.

Later, she was moved to the Pyongyang Sports Club. There she made redoubled efforts to improve her physical and technical abilities and expanded the successes in the games.

She was nominated as one of the top ten players of the DPRK in 2021 again, but she continued to make energetic efforts to attain a higher goal. And they finally bore fruit.

She won an Olympic medal.

She has so far collected over 20 medals in various international events including several golds.

By overcoming herself

Jo Jin Mi, who won Olympic medals pairing with Kim Mi Rae, is a player of the Sobaeksu Sports Team. 

She learned to play rhythmic gymnastics at a primary school before she was picked out by the then April 25 Sports Club and started her playing career as she was flexible and had a suitable physical constitution as a diver.

She trained hard to reach the physical and technical indices according to ages and cut a conspicuous figure by entering the rankings of the final three for the first time in a national competition in 2016.

Later, Jo was selected as a national team player and earned a gold and five silver medals in the women's 10m platform synchronized diving and mixed 10m platform diving events of the then 2019 FINA Diving World Series and achieved successes in other international events held that year.

She came to rank with Kim Mi Rae with rich experience in international matches and her career prospects were decided.

But later she failed to exert her energy in training for some reasons and could not reach the final three even in national events. She decided to give up her playing career.

But thanks to the many obliging people who loved and encouraged her, she started with a clean slate.

Two years later, Jo paired with Kim Mi Rae to win a silver medal at the Olympic Games held in 2024, revealing her new form after overcoming herself and demonstrating her improved ability.