Jimmy Kim was a gold medalist in the first year that taekwondo was included in the Olympics.
- Died: June 23, 2023 (Who else died on June 23?)
- Details of death: Died of dermatomyositis at a hospital in San Diego at the age of 56.
- We invite you to share condolences for Jimmy Kim in our Guest Book.
Jimmy Kim’s legacy
Kim began studying taekwondo almost as soon as he could walk, and he was competing by age 7. Competing in the heavyweight division, he won gold at several international tournaments, including the 1985 World Games and the 1987 Pan Am Games. In 1988, when taekwondo was introduced to the Summer Olympics in Seoul as a demonstration event, Kim won gold in the heavyweight division in an upset over the South Korean favorite. Three other U.S. competitors joined him in winning gold medals that year.
In the years following his Olympic victory, Kim studied sports medicine and chiropractic. In addition to practicing chiropractic, he opened the Jimmy Kim Taekwondo Center in Laguna Niguel, California. There, he trained students including Olympian Charlotte Craig.
Tributes to Jimmy Kim
Full obituary: Los Cerritos News
