Mina Kim (USA)
1994 American Classic
(Juniors): 5th AA, 1st BB (junior division)
1994 Jr. US Nationals (Juniors): 5th AA, 1st BB
1994 Goodwill Games: 4th T (alternate)
1994 Catania Cup: 9th AA, 2nd UB, 4th FX
1995 American Classic/Pan American Games Trials: 10th AA
(tie), 4th BB
1995 U.S. Olympic Festival: 6th AA, 5th BB
1995 American Cup: 7th AA (prelims.), 2nd BB (tie)
1995 International Mixed Pairs (with Brian Yee): 7th AA
1995 Jr. US Nationals: 1st AA, 3rd V, 4th UB, 1st BB
1995 Kodak Invite: 1st Team
1995 Canberra Cup: 2nd AA, 2nd UB, 2nd BB, 3rd FX
1996 Kodak Invite: 1st T
1997 Go For it Classic: 1st T, 1st BB
A native of Korea, Mina Kim moved to the USA with her family in
1983. By age 10, Mina was accepted to train at Dynamo and the
family moved to Oklahoma. Mina excelled very quickly under the
tutelage of Steve Nunno and Peggy Liddick. Two years after
joining Dynamo, Mina was competiting internationally in Italy and
serving as the team alternate in Russia at the 1994 Goodwill
Games.
Placing first at the 1995 Junior
US Nationals, Mina seemed a likely candidate for the USA's 1996
Olympic team. Shortly before the Nationals though, Mina was told
that she was 16 days too young to even try out for the 1996
Olympic team. Steve Nunno argued that an exception should be made
for Mina, because in Mina's native Korea, you turn one year of
age the day you are born. Not surprisingly, Nunno attempt to
argue that Mina was actually one year old than her birthdate
would indicate proved futile.
Although disappointed, Mina set her
sights on the 2000 Olympics. Although she kept
training, in 1997 she changed her mind and retired
from gymnastics. On her official website
Mina explains, "I decided to retire because I
felt like I had completed what God wanted me to do
with gymnastics. I don't regret a single year I was
in it, but I just didn't have the heart to continue.
And I believe that if there is no heart, then it is
time to move on." Like most retired gymnasts,
Mina tried her hand at coaching, coaching young girls
at Dynamo.
Mina is now involved with
cheerleading. According to her official website,
she made her school's 1998-1999 cheerleading squad
and hoped to get a cheerleading scholarship to the
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Incidently, Marianna Webster,
Mina's former teamate at Dynamo, attends UNC at
Chapel Hill!
. This page was created on April
28, 1999 and last updated on December 22, 1999.
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