'Wrestling, Hit by a Series of COVID-19 Setbacks, Aims to Present a Golden Ceremony Despite Adversity'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] A red light has been lit for South Korea's wrestling medal hunt. Promising athletes tested positive for COVID-19, preventing them from participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, there is still a chance.

Wrestling is a star sport that has gifted South Korea 11 gold medals in the history of the Olympics. The first Olympic gold medal also came from wrestling. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Yang Jung-mo won South Korea's first-ever gold medal in sports history. This shows how much the public's expectations for wrestling were.

However, unforeseen setbacks have darkened the golden prospects in Tokyo. In May, during the Tokyo Olympic World Qualification Tournament where Olympic spots were at stake, a COVID-19 cluster infection occurred within the national team. As a result, only two athletes?the smallest number ever?were confirmed to go to Tokyo. Kim Hyun-woo (33, Samsung Life), the 2012 London Olympic gold medalist, also tested positive for COVID-19 on site and had to withdraw. Kim Hyun-woo is a key member of the team who also won a bronze medal at the last Rio Olympics.

Despite the worst situation, the wrestling team's determination is stronger than ever. The two athletes bearing heavy responsibility at this Olympics are Kim Min-seok (28, Ulsan Nam-gu Office) and veteran Ryu Han-su (33, Samsung Life). Kim Min-seok will compete in the Greco-Roman 130kg category on August 1. He is a promising athlete who won bronze medals at the 2018 World Championships and the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. Kim Min-seok vowed to win a medal for his ailing father.

Two days later, on August 3, Ryu Han-su will take the baton and aim to conquer the Greco-Roman 67kg category. Veteran Ryu Han-su is challenging not only for gold but for the grand slam. If he wins gold this time, he will become the fourth wrestler in South Korean history to achieve the grand slam (winning the World Championships, Asian Championships, Asian Games, and Olympics), following Park Jang-soon, Shim Kwon-ho, and Kim Hyun-woo. This is effectively Ryu Han-su's last Olympic appearance, and he is determined to overcome the disappointment of being eliminated in the quarterfinals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Ryu Han-su said, "My goal is definitely the gold medal," and added, "Since this is my last Olympics in my athletic career, I will compete without any regrets," showing his exceptional resolve.