Im Gyeong-Sun was born in what is now North Korea, but moved to China in his youth because of his father’s job. It was here that he took up skiing during middle school but, without a coach, he had to learn by observing Japanese soldiers. Near the end of World War II, the family returned to the North, but eventually settled in Seoul, where Im began to ski competitively. He continued this pursuit at Dongguk University and was eventually selected to represent South Korea at the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics. There, he finished last in both the slalom and the downhill, and was disqualified in the giant slalom, but was lauded by Sports Illustrated due to his conviction to complete the courses without having had formal training.
Republic of Korea