Won 4th Individual Gold Medal Overall as 1st Place in Solo Event
Unyielding Despite Accidents and Fires Since Birth
Jung Ho-won won the gold medal by defeating Australia's Daniel Michel with a total score of 5-2 in the 4 ends at the final of the men's individual boccia event (sports classification BC3) held on the 3rd at South Arena 1 in Paris during the 2024 Paris Paralympics. This was the third gold medal for the Korean delegation at this competition and marked a historic achievement of winning the boccia event for the 10th consecutive time.
Jung Howon (top) is being lifted in celebration after winning the men's individual boccia final (sports classification BC3) at the 2024 Paris Paralympics held on the 3rd (Korean time) at South Arena 1 in Paris, France. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Jung Ho-won suffered a grade 1 cerebral palsy disability when he was less than a year old. It was a momentary accident. While his mother, Hong Hyun-joo, was briefly away from her post at a subway station kiosk, he fell to the floor and injured his brain. Misfortune continued afterward. In 1995, a fire of unknown cause broke out at their home. His mother, despite suffering partial burns, protected Jung Ho-won who was ill. Meanwhile, his older brother sustained severe full-body burns. The enormous medical expenses shook the family financially.
Boccia became a new hope for Jung Ho-won. He was introduced to boccia in 1998 through the encouragement of his physical education teacher and began to enjoy the sport. Four years after starting, in 2002, he earned the Taegeuk mark (national team selection). That year, he rose as a rising star by winning the championship at the Busan Asia-Pacific Para Games. Despite his difficult family circumstances that almost forced him to give up his dreams, Jung Ho-won continued his boccia career thanks to support from those around him. Through continuous growth, Jung Ho-won became the ace of Korean boccia.
In 2009, he first reached the world No. 1 ranking and maintained this position until 2016, establishing himself as the 'greatest player in boccia history.' He also built an impressive record at the Paralympic Games, the festival of disabled sports. He won gold (pairs) and bronze (individual) medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, a silver medal (individual) at the 2012 London Games, gold (individual) and silver (pairs) medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, and a gold medal (pairs) at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Including the individual gold medal at this Paris Paralympics, he has amassed four golds, two silvers, and one bronze at the Paralympics alone.
Jung Ho-won played a decisive role in Korea's historic 10 consecutive boccia gold medals. At the 2016 Rio Games, where Korea aimed for an eighth consecutive gold, Jung was the only Korean athlete to reach the individual final and secured the gold medal. At the 2020 Tokyo Games, Korea won only two gold medals, one of which was earned by Jung in the boccia individual event. At this Paris Paralympics, Jung had to overcome tremendous pressure. Korea's boccia team, aiming for a 10th consecutive gold, had seen Jeong So-young (35) narrowly lose in the women's individual sports classification BC2 final, and Jeong Seong-jun (46) also fell short in the men's individual sports classification BC1 final.
'Boccia, called the "curling on the ground," a star event at the Paralympics'
Boccia, designed for people with brain lesions, is a sport where players throw balls to get closer to a target ball than their opponents to score higher points. It is not included in the Olympics but only in the Paralympics. Boccia is played on a court 6 meters wide and 12.5 meters long, where players throw six red balls and six blue balls to get closer to the white target ball. The scoring system is similar to curling, a Winter Olympic sport, and matches are decided over 4 ends (6 ends in team events). Players can roll the ball by hand, kick it with their feet, or use tools. The BC3 classification, in which Jung competes, is for players who cannot throw the ball by hand. Most players use a stick, and an assistant adjusts the height and angle of a ramp to roll the ball. Jung Ho-won also holds a stick in his mouth.
Boccia, designed for people with brain lesions, is a sport where players earn higher points by throwing balls closer to the target ball than their opponents. [Photo by Yonhap News]
From the first end of the final, Jung Ho-won displayed champion-level play that drew cheers from the audience. After placing his fourth ball close to the white target ball to secure a favorable position, he pushed his balls even closer with the fifth ball, scoring a large number of points. Although his shot accuracy wavered briefly in the third end, allowing the opponent to score, he regained focus in the final fourth end to complete a 5-2 victory. When the win was confirmed, Jung threw off his sports blindfold and roared, celebrating joyfully amid the coach team's shoulder lifts.
After the match, Jung Ho-won said, "I hadn't expressed it before, but I was under great pressure. It was very tough, but winning the gold medal feels relieving," and added, "I am happy to have contributed to Korea's 10 consecutive boccia gold medals." He continued, "My mother recently deliberately avoided contacting me because she was worried I might feel burdened. Before leaving for Paris, she told me to go with peace of mind, and I am glad to return with a gold medal." Meanwhile, Jung Ho-won's Paralympic journey is not over yet. He will also compete in the pairs event with Kang Sun-hee (47, KEPCO KPS), aiming to become a 'double gold medalist.' Jung stated, "Winning two gold medals is my ultimate goal. I want to add a fifth gold medal to my career."
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