"Shin Yubin Stood Out from the Start"... '5-Year-Old Table Tennis Prodigy' Broadcast Revisited [Paris Olympics]

Appeared on the entertainment program 'Star King' around age 5

Shin Yu-bin (20, Korean Air), who won the bronze medal in the mixed doubles table tennis event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is being revisited by netizens for her past appearances. She once appeared on a popular TV program as a 'table tennis prodigy' during her childhood.

On the 30th, a scene from the SBS entertainment program 'Star King' aired in 2009 when Shin Yu-bin was just 5 years old was shared across various online communities. In the broadcast, Shin appeared as a 'table tennis prodigy.'

At that time, she underwent a rigorous genius test conducted by Hyun Jung-hwa, then the national team coach, where she fully demonstrated talents essential for a table tennis player, such as rhythm, agility, and power.

Shin Yubin at around 5 years old (above) and her current appearance. [Image source=SBS broadcast capture, Yonhap News]

Having passed all the tests, Shin Yu-bin drew applause from the audience. In the broadcast, she also showed off her 'love for table tennis' by saying, "I like table tennis more than food or friends."

Netizens who watched the video praised her with comments like, "She was exceptional from the start," "The table tennis prodigy eventually became a national team player," and "She was admirable even as a child."

On the 30th, Shin Yu-bin, along with Lim Jong-hoon (27, Korea Exchange), competed in the Olympic mixed doubles bronze medal match held at the South Paris Arena 4 in Paris, France. The Korean team defeated the Hong Kong pair Wong Chun-ting and Doo Hoi Kem 4-0 to claim the bronze medal. This marked Korea's first table tennis medal in 12 years since the men's team won silver at the 2012 London Olympics.

This is Shin Yu-bin's second Olympic appearance. It is known that she started holding a table tennis paddle around the age of three at the table tennis center run by her father, a former table tennis player. At age five, she appeared on a TV program and became known nationwide as a 'table tennis prodigy.' Last year, she won one gold medal (women's doubles) and three bronze medals (women's singles, women's team, mixed doubles) at the Hangzhou Asian Games.