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Olympic sharpshooter's 'Matrix'-inspired style turns heads in Paris
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NPR is in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. For more of our coverage from the games head to our latest updates.
South Korea's Kim Yeji may have won the silver medal in the women's 10 meter air pistol contest, but she's won gold across the world for her style.
Footage of the 31-year-old athlete competing in Paris caught the attention of commentators on social media, with people remarking on both Kim's looks ("badass!") and her demeanor ("coolest person ever!")
@levertunt My b pose was NASTY | #fyp #fypツ #shooter #kimyeji #lgbt #olympics2024 ♬ original sound - Vivi
"Clips started going viral after people noticed her infinite aura and ice cold stance," said fashion-focused TikToker stylebykvn. "So while she didn't win gold, she's definitely won our hearts and the runway."
Contradictions fuel Kim's appeal
Kim's appeal could stem from its contradictions.
On the one hand, her style is decidedly casual — at least on the range. Black and white baseball caps, sometimes worn with the bill facing backwards, slightly baggy tracksuits, and blocky sneakers underpin Kim's everyday, "takin' the dog for a walk" look.
But the monochrome color palette of Kim's clothing coupled with her stone-cold-fox demeanor tell a different story — one that wouldn't seem out of place in sci-fi and action movies like The Matrix and the Bourne franchises. She handles a gun like she means it. She rarely cracks a smile.
X commentator Trung Phan went as far as to create a montage featuring Kim next to action movie heroes Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington and Matt Damon with the caption, "I'm assembling a team."
"This girl is a movie character like how is she real," wrote X.com user Daniel.
"The most 'Main Character Energy' I've ever seen in my life," wrote Del Walker on X.
The athlete's cyberpunk eyewear tops off her look. According to the Olympics website, Kim's hi-tech, asymmetrical glasses "are popular among shooting athletes as they help to avoid blur and increase visual focus. They include a lens, blinders and a mechanical iris."
So much. So tough.
Kim's softer side
Yet there's another contradiction to the circulating images of Kim that likely serves to increase her appeal as a style icon: Footage from the games shows the athlete carrying a lucky charm — a stuffed elephant toy that belongs to her daughter. "Like, how cute is that?!" remarked TikToker stylebykvn.
The gray-trunked, pink-eared plushie suggests that behind the athlete's slouching, hip hop style and "killer" body language, there's a caring person who likes a bit of fun.
Jennifer Vanasco edited this story.
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