The history of world sports records many famous brothers and sisters who found fame in the same sport, such as the Klitschko brothers of Ukraine in professional boxing and the Charlton brothers of the UK in football.

DPRK weightlifters Rim Jong Sim and Rim Un Sim can creditably claim to be on a par with them.

In 2019, they both achieved brilliant successes in the IWF World Cup.

The Rim sisters bagged three golds respectively by winning first places in snatch, jerk and total of the 76kg and 71kg categories of the event.

“The year 2019 was one of the happiest for us sisters,” recalled Merited Athlete Rim Un Sim, the younger sister. “I can never forget the time when I stood on the winner’s rostrum with my sister who is a double Olympic gold medallist. It was the moment when my long-held dream of becoming a world weightlifting star like my sister came true.”

The elder sister Rim Jong Sim who holds the Asian and world titles has a glittering playing career.

She is one of the nation’s few players who was awarded the title of DPRK Labour Hero after winning an Olympic gold in her teens. At that time, the whole nation lauded her success and inspired her to attain greater achievements. Later she lived up to their expectations and became two-time Olympic gold medallist and Asian and world champion and renewed world records several times.

With an ambition to become a weightlifting ace like her sister, Rim Un Sim trained hard and produced good results at international games.

She won the first places at the 2014 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships, the 2016 World Junior Weightlifting Championships, the 2017 Asian Weightlifting Championships and the 18th Asian Games.

The sisters have so far collected over 70 medals and cups.

“Of course, Rim Jong Sim and Rim Un Sim have good physical preparedness as weightlifters, but they would not have been able to produce such brilliant results without the instruction by a good coach,” said Kim Kwang Dok, secretary general of the DPRK weightlifting association.

Kim Chun Hui, women’s weightlifting coach of the Kigwancha Sports Club, has been training the sisters for over a decade.

Under the guidance of Kim, who has the ability to scout promising players and make players fully display their physical and technical abilities and potentials in training and competitions, they grew up to become national champions in a short time and, finally, world weightlifting stars.

Despite their considerable fame, the sisters never laze about during the training season.

“Weightlifting is pleasure and happiness for us,” said the younger Rim.