A South Korean figure skater has left the internet in awe after going viral for her perfect first pitch at a Korean Baseball Organization baseball game.
Kim Ye-Lim, a decorated figure skater who competed at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, was tapped to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Friday's game between Korean teams SSG Landers and KIA Tigers.
The throw itself was fantastic—certainly not the amateurish sort of toss we're used to with ceremonial first pitches.
But for extra panache, Kim put a skater's twist on the pitch, launching herself in an acrobatic airborne spin before balletically taking her place on the pitcher's mound.
Video of the pitch has gone viral on social media, and people are absolutely loving Kim's show of prowess.
South Korean figure skater Kim Ye-Lim had one of the best first pitches we\u2019ve ever seen \n\n(: @Landers__H)pic.twitter.com/kq9WqnOg2O— TSN (@TSN) 1649448361
Pretty sure absolutely nobody in America on baseball's Opening Day last week did anything that even came close to what Kim did. There are currently no medals for throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game, but after what Kim did someone should make one.
Given Kim's accomplishments as a skater, it should be no surprise she rose to the first-pitch occasion as well.
At just 19, Kim is already one of South Korea's top figure skaters, having won three golds, six silvers and four bronzes since her first competitive season in 2014.
And at this year's Beijing Olympics—surely the first of many for her—she placed ninth in the women's single skating competition, and second in the South Korean team.
It wasn't just the roaring crowd in South Korea that were impressed by Kim's acrobatic baseball prowess.
People all over the world were absolutely awestruck and took to the internet to applaud the young skater.
I think ceremonial first pitches will never be the same. There\u2019s now \u201cbefore Kim Ye-Lim\u201d and what comes after.https://twitter.com/tsn_sports/status/1512522169254825993\u00a0\u2026— David Graves (@David Graves) 1649455210
Now this deserves a perfect technical score \n\nSouth Korean figure skater Kim Ye-Lim threw the first pitch at the SSG Landers home openerpic.twitter.com/IZYy8EIsPK— CBC Olympics (@CBC Olympics) 1649448224
Wow!!! I think Kim Ye-lim just set the bar for opening pitches impossibly high; not only fancy/graceful but with accuracy!!!— Robin N (@Robin N) 1649432553
She threw a strike, too, which makes especially impressive— Markus Milner \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Markus Milner \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1649448911
Magnificent— Rex Chapman\ud83c\udfc7\ud83c\udffc (@Rex Chapman\ud83c\udfc7\ud83c\udffc) 1649450671
Wow!!! I think Kim Ye-lim just set the bar for opening pitches impossibly high; not only fancy/graceful but with accuracy!!!— Robin N (@Robin N) 1649432553
That has to be one of the best opening pitches ever. Wow!— \ud83c\udfae \ud83d\udd79\ufe0f Adam Stands with \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 Olivero \ud83c\udfa6\ud83c\udfac\ud83c\udfd2\ud83c\udfc0\u26be\ud83e\udde2\ud83c\udfc6 (@\ud83c\udfae \ud83d\udd79\ufe0f Adam Stands with \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 Olivero \ud83c\udfa6\ud83c\udfac\ud83c\udfd2\ud83c\udfc0\u26be\ud83e\udde2\ud83c\udfc6) 1649448482
Damn she was moving so fast I couldn't tell..was that a triple or a quad? Either way, it was flawless!— DayCM \ud83d\ude03\ud83c\udfbc\ud83c\udfb9\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfb5\ud83c\udfb6\ud83d\udcd4\ud83d\udcd6 (@DayCM \ud83d\ude03\ud83c\udfbc\ud83c\udfb9\ud83c\udfa4\ud83c\udfb5\ud83c\udfb6\ud83d\udcd4\ud83d\udcd6) 1649455951
Good grief! @RedSox, sign her!https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1512522169254825993\u00a0\u2026— Michael D Kerrigan \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea\u262e\ufe0f\u262f\ufe0f (@Michael D Kerrigan \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea\u262e\ufe0f\u262f\ufe0f) 1649505887
triple axle salchow into the iron lotus and then a strike #baseballhttps://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1512522169254825993\u00a0\u2026— Bobby Dynamite (@Bobby Dynamite) 1649536173
Perfect Pitchhttps://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1512522169254825993\u00a0\u2026— John Ondrasik (@John Ondrasik) 1649529577
Looks like Kim's future is extra bright any way you slice it.
Even if the skating doesn't work out, she can just switch to baseball.
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