Focused Investment in Promising and Publicly Welcomed Sports
Spotlight on Hwang Sun-woo, Woo Haram, Woo Sang-hyeok, Lee Seon-mi, Ryu Seong-hyeon, Seo Chae-hyeon, Shin Yubin, and Others
"I am a Strong Contender for Victory at the Paris Olympics"
The athletes' eyes are now set on Paris. Learning from the experience in Tokyo, they are preparing for better results. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee is starting to reclassify medal strategy sports through consultations with sports federations. Moving away from the concept of 'tradition,' sports that show potential for development and are welcomed by the public will be included as medal cultivation sports. This means focusing investment on sports where medals can be won.
At the center of this benefit are the young athletes who performed well in Tokyo. The frontrunner is Hwang Sun-woo (18, Seoul Physical Education High School), who is only eighteen years old. Although he did not win a medal, he rewrote Korean swimming history with his remarkable skills. He set an Asian record and a world junior record (47.56 seconds) in the men's 100m freestyle. He became the first Asian athlete in 65 years since Atsushi Dani (Japan) at the 1956 Melbourne Games to reach the Olympic final in this event, finishing 5th. Hwang also set Korean and world junior records (1:44.62) in the 200m freestyle and advanced to the final, finishing 7th. Caleb Dressel (26, USA), who won five gold medals at this event, praised him, saying, "He is faster than I was at eighteen." Missing out on medals was largely due to lack of experience. He was inexperienced in pacing and race management and had limited participation in international competitions. He also needs to build strength through weight training. Hwang said, "If I prepare more systematically, I think my skills will improve," adding, "I will use this competition as a stepping stone and steadily improve to show good results in Paris."
Woo Ha-ram (23, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation) also raised hopes for Korea's first medal by achieving the highest Korean ranking (4th place) in the 3m springboard diving. Diving remains a medal stronghold for China. At this event, China swept gold medals in seven events except for the men's synchronized 10m platform (won by Great Britain). Woo has emerged as a dark horse threatening them with his remarkable growth. He edged out Evgeny Kuznetsov (Russia, 461.90 points), who placed 5th, by a huge margin of 19.95 points in the 3m springboard, coming close to the medal zone. Despite poor conditions, he mastered injury treatment methods on his own and completed bold and impressive aerial maneuvers. With focused support, he could smile even bigger in Paris. He said, "I finished 4th this time, so I hope to move up one step next time."
Woo Sang-hyeok (25, Armed Forces Athletic Corps), who finished 4th in the men's high jump final, can also make a mark in Paris. At this event, he cleared 2.35m, roughly the height of an average apartment ceiling, setting the highest ranking in Korean track & field history. He broke the Korean record of 2.34m set by Lee Jin-taek in June 1997 at the National Championships after 24 years. He also comfortably cleared 2.37m and 2.39m without his hips or legs touching the bar. Had his hips or legs not grazed the bar, he could have aimed for the gold medal. Despite narrowly missing a medal, Woo was all smiles, having confirmed the possibility of achieving higher records. "There are three years left until the next Olympics. Previously, my goal was a bronze medal, but after competing, I realized a gold medal is possible. A confidence I never had before has ignited." His goal for Paris is 2.38m. He said, "The dream record is now within reach," adding, "I will be a strong favorite to win at the Paris Olympics."
Lee Sun-mi (21, Gangwon Provincial Office), who missed a medal by 5kg in the women's 87kg weightlifting category; Nam Tae-yoon (23, Boeun County Office) and Kwon Eun-ji (19, Uljin County Office), who placed 4th in the 10m air rifle mixed team shooting event; and Ryu Seong-hyun (19, Korea National Sport University), who placed 4th in men's artistic gymnastics floor exercise, have all emerged as the 'next-generation aces' in their respective sports. Teenage stars such as Seo Chae-hyun (18, The North Face Climbing), who was the youngest female competitor in sport climbing and ranked 2nd in the qualifiers, and Shin Yu-bin (17, Korean Air), who will debut as a professional in Japan's professional table tennis T-League following this event, could be a ray of hope for Korean sports entering a decline phase.
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