After Ahn Se-young's Resolute Remarks... Mixed Doubles Kim Won-ho "Team Atmosphere Is Not Good" [Paris Olympics]

Questions About An Seyoung Continue Despite Her Absence
Kim Wonho: "This Should Be a Moment to Celebrate..."

Kim Won-ho (25, Samsung Life) and Jung Na-eun (24, Hwasun County Office), who won the silver medal in mixed doubles badminton at the 2024 Paris Olympics, cautiously expressed their thoughts on the remarks made by An Se-young (22, Samsung Life), who won the women's singles gold medal the day before.

Kim Won-ho, who won the silver medal in mixed doubles badminton at the 2024 Paris Olympics, spoke about the team atmosphere related to the interview held by An Se-young, who won the gold medal in women's singles the day before, at the medalists' press conference held on the morning of the 6th (local time) at Korea House in central Paris.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 6th, Kim Won-ho and Jung Na-eun attended a medalists' press conference for the South Korean delegation held at Korea House in Paris, France. Kim Won-ho said, "It was an honor just to participate in my first Olympics. We had tough matches in the preliminaries, but overcoming those challenges became an opportunity for us to build confidence," adding, "It was an honor to reach the finals, which I never expected."

Jung Na-eun also said, "It was my first Olympics, and I was honored to be the first Korean player since the 2008 Beijing Games to advance to the mixed doubles final," and added, "I feel good about winning the silver medal." Kim Won-ho and Jung Na-eun jointly won the silver medal at this tournament, marking the first Olympic mixed doubles medal for Korea in 16 years since Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung's gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.

On the 5th (local time), at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena in Paris, France, An Se-young of Korea, who defeated China's He Bingjiao in the women's singles final of the 2024 Paris Olympic badminton event, is holding up the gold medal.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The women's singles gold medalist An Se-young did not appear that day. The Sports Council announced that "An Se-young is absent by her own decision."

Earlier, after winning the gold medal, An Se-young told reporters, "My injury was more serious than I thought, and I was quite disappointed with the national team for being too complacent," adding, "After this moment, I also thought it might be difficult to continue with the national team." In a later interview with Yonhap News, An Se-young expressed dissatisfaction with the national team training and the decision-making process of the Korea Badminton Association, saying, "I hope the players are nurtured systematically."

Regarding this, Kim Won-ho said, "Since the team is divided into parts, we did not really feel those things well." About the team atmosphere, he said, "There have been many news reports, so I cannot say the atmosphere is good." Jung Na-eun said, "I will not answer questions related to An Se-young."

When asked if there were issues with player management by the Badminton Association, Kim Won-ho cautiously stated, "Reaching this point was not only by our own efforts but also thanks to those who worked hard behind the scenes," adding, "There might be parts I am not aware of." When asked if he hesitated to attend the press conference given the heavy atmosphere, Kim Won-ho admitted, "It is a place to receive congratulations, but I did have some concerns."

On the 2nd (local time), Kim Won-ho and Jung Na-eun, who won the silver medal in the mixed doubles badminton final at the 2024 Paris Olympics held at La Chapelle Arena in Paris, France, are posing with their silver medals around their necks. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Won-ho, who became a "mother-and-son medalist" with his mother Gil Young-ah, the director of Samsung Life and the 1996 Atlanta mixed doubles champion, said, "My mother told me, 'Thank you for remembering what I said when you were young ("You should live as Kim Won-ho's son, not as Gil Young-ah's son"). You worked hard, and congratulations on your exemption (military service benefits).'"

Regarding the preparation process for the tournament, Jung Na-eun said, "When my body was not in good condition, I trained according to my condition and paid attention to diet and sleep," adding, "I thought condition was more important when training at the Olympic Village before the Olympics."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it would investigate the circumstances related to An Se-young's media interview. In a press release that day, the ministry stated, "Since the Paris Olympics are currently underway, we will accurately ascertain the facts once the Olympics conclude and review the necessity of appropriate improvement measures based on the results." It added, "We also plan to comprehensively examine whether there are areas for improvement in player management across other sports."