The 2024 Summer Olympics, which took place in Paris from July 26 until Aug. 11, brought impressive results and various medals to South Korea. Ranging from archery to table tennis, South Korean athletes were successful in uplifting national pride.
The Olympics provide an intense yet enjoyable experience for both the players and the spectators of all nationalities over the world, with nations uniting to cheer for their national professional athletes who compete against the best athletes in the world for a variety of sports.
“I think the most surprising result for me was Letsile Tebogo from Botswana, who ended up winning the 200-meter,” Adam Yannakakis, HS physical education teacher, said. “I do not think a lot of people saw that coming because everyone was focused on Noah Lyles, the American track and field athlete. [Letsile Tebogo] winning the 200-meter was a happy moment for me, being a South African.”
With many athletes from different nations worldwide winning medals and breaking unexpected records, athletes from South Korea were not an exception, ranking no. 8 out of 204 national teams out of a total of 329 events across 32 sports. South Korea tied their previous gold medal record, winning 13 gold medals despite its large player deficit compared to previous Olympics.
Archery: Kim Woo-jin
Kim Woo-jin, ranked second in Recurve Men, swept all three gold medals in the Men’s Individual, Mixed Team, and Men’s Team events. Winning in a tight final against American professional archer Brady Ellison in the shoot-offs with a score of 6-5, Kim Woo-jin was able to win his third gold medal, as well as his first individual medal, at the Olympics. The gold medal in the Men’s Team event secured the third consecutive Olympic gold medal since the 2016 Rio Olympics, extending their dominance over others in the sport.
Badminton: An Se-young
An Se-young, ranked first in Women’s Singles, won the gold medal in her main event, beating He Bingjiao from the People’s Republic of China with set scores of 21-13 and 21-16. Despite the controversy that arose in her interview about the South Korean Badminton association shortly after claiming her gold medal, An Se-young’s gold medal marks the first Badminton gold in Women’s Singles in 28 years since gold medalist Bang Soo-hyun back in the 1996 Olympics.
“I kept track of what times [An Se-young’s] games were at,” Dana Chung (12), varsity badminton player, said. “She was the figure that I looked up to because even before the Olympics, she was one of the most prosperous athletes, and I was impressed by her performance despite all the pressure and expectations we had on her as a country.”
Fencing: Oh Sang-uk
Oh Sang-uk, a South Korean right-handed sabre fencer, ranked first in Men’s Sabre, came victorious in Men’s Individual Sabre and Men’s Team Sabre, adding an additional two gold medals into South Korea’s arms. The gold medal in Men’s Individual Sabre marked the first gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics and made Oh Sang-uk the first South Korean man to win an individual sabre gold medal.
Shooting: Kim Ye-ji
Kim Ye-ji, a South Korean professional shooter, won a silver medal in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a total of 241.3 points. Despite coming up short of the gold medal against Oh Ye-jin, who won the gold medal with 243.2 points, Kim Ye-ji has attracted fans from around the world, even from successful entrepreneurs like Elon Musk due to her charismatic charm and composure.
Swimming: Kim Woo-min
Kim Woo-min, a professional swimmer on the South Korean national swimming team, won the bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle event, finishing the race with a final time of 3:42:50. The bronze medal sparked hope within the national swimming community, as it was the first Olympic medal since Park Tae-hwan’s gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle in the 2012 London Olympics.
“I got a burst of motivation after looking at [Kim Woo-min],” William Park (11), varsity swimmer, said. “Obviously, once [South Korean Olympians] start winning medals, there are going to be multiple Koreans cheering for the same athlete. It will unite them and help glorify our nation. It would tell the international world that Korea, although not a traditionally strong swimming nation, is also stepping into the race.”
Table Tennis: Shin Yu-bin and Lim Jong-hoon
South Korea achieved two bronze medals in table tennis, with the second one from the Women’s Team taking a victory over Germany with a set score of 3-0. The first bronze medal came from Shin Yu-bin and Lim Jong-hoon in the Mixed Doubles, who took a 4-0 victory over Hong Kong. The medal made history for South Korea and raised praise from around the world, marking the first Olympic medal in 12 years.
