Multiple-time Olympians seeking to redeem reputation, repeat victory in Tokyo
 |
| From left are shooter Jin Jong-oh, volleyball player Kim Yeon-koung, taekwondo practitioner Lee Dae-hoon and fencer Kim Ji-yeon / Korea Times file |
Some veteran athletes chase elusive gold
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Being an Olympian is great. It's arguably the lifelong dream of all athletes to represent their country and reach the pinnacle of their sport. Although it may vary depending on the region, being named an Olympian promises fame, prestige and even money.
While a string of athletes have willingly or unwillingly decided to drop out of the Olympics despite the many benefits of participating, there are multiple-time Olympians seeking to redeem their reputations or collect medals in Tokyo.
Jin Jong-oh, a six-time Olympic medalist, aims to become the most successful male shooter of all time by winning one more medal of any color.
He has already won four gold medals and two silver medals, tying with China's former sharpshooter, Wang Yifu, for the most Olympic medals won by a marksman.
With Tokyo being his fifth Olympics, Jin will compete in the men's 10-meter air pistol and the newly created 10-meter air pistol mixed team event.
Jin won the 10-meter air pistol gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, as well as one silver medal each at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also clinched three Olympic gold medals at the 50-meter pistol event from 2008 to 2016, but that event has been dropped from Tokyo's program.
Kim Yeon-koung, one of the best wing spikers in the world, will make one last Olympic appearance in Tokyo, in the women's volleyball tournament.
She is set to improve upon the team's eighth-place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics and is on the hunt for the team's first Olympic medal. Their closest shot at a medal came at the 2012 London Olympics, where Korea lost to Japan in the bronze medal match. However, Kim was named the MVP and best scorer at the event.
Kim was the world's highest-paid volleyball player, before rejoining a Korean V-league team in 2020 to help guide the national team to their participation in the Tokyo Olympics. "The Tokyo Games are my last chance at an Olympic medal," Kim told reporters in Tokyo.
Lee Dae-hoon, a top-ranked taekwondo practitioner, will be competing for a gold medal in his third Olympics. He has reigned supreme at the World Championships with three gold medals, but has so far failed to earn the top spot at the Olympics.
He won a silver medal in the men's under-58-kilogram category at the 2012 London Olympics and then a bronze medal in the under-68 kilograms at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The father of a three-year-old son, 먹튀검증사이트 expressed his wish to win a gold medal.
"This may be my last Olympics, so I want to perform with no regrets and have fun. My goal is to win a gold medal, while giving the best performance that I can," Lee told reporters after arriving at Narita International Airport near Tokyo, Wednesday.
 |
| From left, fencer Choi In-jeong, swimmer Kim Seo-yeong, and cyclists Lee Hye-jin and Na Ah-reum / Korea Times file |
Kim Ji-yeon, the women's individual sabre gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, is striving to redeem her reputation, which was marred at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she suffered a shocking third-round loss to Italy's Loreta Gulotta.
She suffered a badly ruptured Achilles tendon in 2020, but swiftly returned from the injury to participate in her last Olympic competition.
Choi In-jeong, ranked as the No.2 female epee fencer in the world, is another strong medal contender. The women's epee team won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, but she missed out on both the individual and team Olympic medals four years later. Choi now looks to improve upon her seventh-place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Swimmer Kim Seo-yeong, who is competing in her third Olympics, is competing for a medal in the women's 200m individual medley. At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, she won the gold medal in the same category.
Three-time cycling Olympians Lee Hye-jin and Na Ah-reum are also competing for medals in the upcoming Games.
Lee, who became the first Korean track cyclist to win a gold medal in the women's keirin, or track cycling, at the 2019 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, will compete in the women's sprint and keirin events. Lee finished eighth at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Last March, Lee briefly held the world's No. 1 position after winning a silver medal at the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
Na has won four gold medals at the 2018 Asian Games ― in the women's road race, individual time trial, madison race and team pursuit, where she competed alongside Kim You-ri, Kim Hyun-ji and Lee Ju-mi.
Na will compete in the women's road race, looking to improve upon her 13th-place finish at the 2012 London Olympics and her 30th-place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Nhận xét
Đăng nhận xét