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Kim Su-ji “I was Rewarded with an Olympic Qualification and a Bronze Medal at the World Championships”

 

 

Shining bronze medal in women’s 3m diving… Winning a personal second World Championships medal

A combination of a star and a rookie... Korean diving secures 6 athletes qualification for Paris Olympics in individual events

Kim Su-ji (25, Ulsan Metropolitan City Hall) stood on the springboard with her left knee strongly taped.

Suji Kim suppressed her pain and hung her World Swimming Championships medal with a brilliant performance.

Kim Su-ji improved her skills while fighting injuries, and was rewarded with brilliant achievements such as qualification for the Paris Olympics and a bronze medal at the World Championships.

Suji Kim took third place with a total score of 311.25 points from the first to fifth periods in the women"s 3m springboard final at the 2024 World Championships Diving held at the Hamad Aquatic Center in Doha, Qatar on the 10th (Korean time).

Kim Su-ji, who became the first Korean diving world championship medalist in Gwangju in 2019, also won her second medal in Korean diving history.

As the only Korean female athlete to win a World Aquatics Championships medalist, she also earned the title of being the first Korean diving athlete to win two or more medals.

Kim Su-ji, who stood on the podium with a smile, said through the Korea Swimming Federation, "Five years ago in Gwangju, I thought I had not yet reached the international level.

I thought I was just lucky, so I was less impressed. Now, I feel like I have grown since then."

“I am happier and more satisfied with the thought that I have been rewarded for my hard work,” she said.

On this day, Su-ji Kim’s parents stood in the stands and watched their daughter perform brilliantly and receive a shining bronze medal around her neck.

Su- ji Kim said, “Thank you for coming all the way to Doha to support me.

“I am even happier because I achieved this in front of my parents,” he said with a smile.

On the 3rd, Suji Kim took 8th place in the women"s 1m springboard final with a total of 248.60 points in the 1st to 5th periods.

Su-ji Kim, who finished second in the preliminaries, made a mistake in the second period of the final that took her out of medal contention.

Su-ji Kim recalled that she "immediately forgot about her disappointment in the 1m springboard, which could have won her a medal, and focused on the 3m springboard."

Kim Soo-ji, who scored 302.10 points in her nine-day 3m springboard semifinal to break the 300-point mark for the first time, advanced to the final in a tie for third, securing a 12-person spot at the Paris Olympics.

She broke her personal best again in her final on the 10th, earning her a bronze medal at the World Championships.

Suji Kim was diagnosed with torn cartilage in her left knee in December last year.

Naturally, he felt pain during training and was emotionally distressed.

However, participating in international competitions became a good pain reliever for Kim Su-ji.

Before leaving for Doha, Kim Su-ji met said, "I still enjoy diving the most.

Participating in international competitions makes me forget the pain.

Moreover , I have a ticket to the Paris Olympics at the world championships.

“I had to adjust the amount of training, but I will go to Doha after successfully completing some technical training,” he said with a bright expression.

Kim Su-ji smiled brighter as she secured her third Olympic appearance, following London in 2012 and Tokyo in 2021, and won her second World Championships medal as an individual and for Korean diving.

Kim Su-ji"s Doha competition is not over yet.

Kim Su-ji will compete with Lee Jae-kyung (24, Incheon Metropolitan City Hall) in the mixed synchro 3m springboard final held on the afternoon of the 10th.

At last year"s Fukuoka Games, Kim Su-ji and Lee Jae-kyung placed fourth in this event.

Kim Su-ji expected, “If I finish the mixed synchronized 3m competition in Doha without making any mistakes, I think I will be able to go one step higher than last year.”

If Kim Soo-ji wins a medal in the mixed synchro 3m springboard event at this competition, she will become the second Korean athlete to win three world championship medals, following management Park Tae-hwan.

Tae-hwan Park ranked first in the 400m freestyle and third in the 200m at the 2007 Melbourne Games, and won the gold medal in the 400m freestyle in Shanghai in 2011.

Korean divers, including Kim Su-ji, were rewarded for their efforts with a "Paris Olympic qualification" at this year"s Doha competition.

Men"s 3m springboard Woo Ha-ram (25, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation) and Lee Jae-kyung, men"s 10m platform Shin Jeong-hwi (22, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation), and women"s 10m platform Kim Na-hyeon (20, Gangwon Provincial Office) qualified for the individual event at the Paris Olympics through this competition. Acquired.

A total of six people have confirmed their participation in the Paris Olympics, including Kim Young-taek (22, Jeju Provincial Government), who won a ticket to Paris in the men"s 10m platform at the Fukuoka Games last year, and Kim Su-ji in the women"s 3m springboard.

Korean diving was further encouraged by "signatures" Kim Su-ji and Woo Ha-ram, who showed an upward curve, and "new stars" Shin Jeong-hwi and Kim Na-hyeon who showed off their talents on the international stage.

Son Tae-rang, coach of the diving team, said, “We have won the largest number of individual events in the Korean diving Olympics in history,” and added, “I am grateful to the athletes who have patiently endured and worked hard all this time.”

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Youth Olympics Multinational Prospects Fostered by Pyeongchang… First Appearance and Medal, New History

 

 

Four people won three gold medals, and there were also athletes competing in ice speed and short track at the same time... Next-generation winter sports star stands out

At the 2024 Gangwon Games, the first Winter Youth Olympics held in Asia, promising winter sports athletes from various countries appeared.

In particular, the legacy left behind by the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics held in Gangwon-do six years ago has come to fruition, and athletes from countries considered "barren" have also stood out and attracted attention.

Tunisia, located on the Mediterranean coast of Africa, engraved its name in Winter Olympics history for the first time through the Gangwon Games.

Tunisia, which has participated in the Summer Olympics since the 1960 Rome Games and won gold medals in swimming and track and field, but has never participated in the Winter Olympics, recorded its first participation in the Winter Olympics with the participation of three bobsledders in the Gangwon Games.

Jonathan Rurimi, who competed in the men"s monobob (single-seater), and Sophie Gorbal and Beya Mokrani, who competed in the women"s monobob, are the protagonists of new history.

Since 2020, they have developed their dream of becoming "bobsled athletes" through the winter sports athlete training project for underdeveloped and developing countries, hosted by Korea"s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and Pyeongchang County and organized by the 2018 Pyeongchang Memorial Foundation, and have reached the Olympic stage.

This project, which was implemented to inherit and develop the legacy of the Pyeongchang Olympics, provided athletes from countries with underdeveloped winter sports the opportunity to train in Pyeongchang or compete in international competitions to qualify for Gangwon 2024.

On the 22nd of last month, Gorbal and Mokrani raced at the Alpensia Sliding Center in Pyeongchang, marking Tunisia"s "Winter Olympics debut" even though it was a Youth Olympics.

Then, in the men"s monobob competition on the 23rd, Rurimi won the silver medal following Korea"s Soh Jae-hwan (Sangji Daegwallyeong High School), becoming Tunisia"s first Winter Olympics medalist.

He has a bigger dream, saying, “I want to work hard and participate in the real Winter Olympics in 2026 or 2030.”

Including them, 25 athletes from 9 countries (Thailand, Taiwan, Mongolia, Singapore, Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, Kenya, and Tunisia) and 6 sports (bobsleigh, skeleton, luge, short track, alpine skiing, and cross-country skiing) participated in the Pyeongchang Games.

We participated in Gangwon 2024 through the ‘Legacy’ project.

In the women"s monobob, Thailand"s Kampeol Agnes won the silver medal, standing tall as Thailand"s first-ever Winter Olympics medalist among both adults and youth.

In Thailand, where there were no winter training grounds, including a bobsled track, Campheol could only do sprints and weight training, but with the support of this project, she was able to hone her skills by traveling back and forth to Korea.

After winning the medal, he expressed his gratitude, saying, “The Pyeongchang Heritage Foundation’s programs supported us.”

Here, several athletes from winter sports powerhouses received the honor of winning multiple awards and presented themselves as next-generation stars.

In this competition, four people won three gold medals.

Two people came from speed skating, one person from biathlon, and one person from alpine skiing.

In particular, Dutch speed skating"s Angel Dahlemann, who won the women"s 500m and 1,500m speed skating events as well as the mass start event and won a bronze medal in the mixed relay, also attracted attention by participating in the short track event.

Although he did not win a prize in the short track race, he proved to be a top prospect for the Netherlands, a ‘powerhouse on ice.’

Finn Sonnekalp of German speed skating also showed off his presence as a future ace by winning the men"s 500m, 1,500m, and mass start races.

French biathlon"s Antonin won gold medals in the men"s 7.5km sprint, men"s individual 12.5km, mixed relay 6km (women) + 7.5km (men) and silver medals in the mixed relay 4x6km.

Austrian women"s alpine skiing"s Maya Barosic also shined at the competition by winning three gold medals in the women"s slalom, alpine combined, and team mixed parallel events.

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Sabalenka, Who Smashed her Racket at Last Year"s US Open, Dances with the Trophy this Year

 

“I desperately wanted to win a major, and I will continue to challenge in the future.

I am grateful to my late father.”

Arina Sabalenka (2nd place, Belarus) is a player famous for her passion for winning.

After finishing second in the women"s singles at her US Open tennis tournament last September, he entered her locker room and took out his anger on her own tennis racket.

Sabalenka, who lost 1-2 (6-4 3-6 4-6) to Coco Goff (4th place, USA) in the final, returned to the locker room after the award ceremony and quietly took out a racket and slammed it on the floor.

I threw it away in the trash can.

Although this video was not broadcast on TV, it was released on social media through some channel and became a good example of Sabalenka"s desire to win.

At the next major tournament, this year"s Australian Open, he danced happily while holding the championship trophy in his arms.

Sabalenka, who defeated Zheng Qinwen (15th place, China) 2-0 (6-3 6-2) in just 1 hour and 16 minutes in the singles final held in Melbourne, Australia on the 27th, won the trophy after the awards ceremony.

Another video was released of the group holding and dancing happily to the locker room.

In the post-win interview, Sabalenka did not hide her desire to continue winning major championships in the future.

Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open for the second time in a row since last year, said, "Actually, in the past, I couldn"t understand it when I saw a player who had won a major championship crying after reaching the top again.

But today I won another major tournament."

“After trying it, I understood the players’ feelings,” he said.

He said, "I also had the experience of winning the Australian Open last year, so I thought this year would be different, but I still desperately want to win, and I have to prepare for it and do my best."

“I think the feelings about winning are the same,” he explained.

At the same time, I promised myself that I would like to consistently achieve good results in major competitions.

Arina Sabalenka said, “I will not become a player who wins a major tournament once and then disappears,” and said, “It is an important task for me to win more majors in the future.”

He had a tiger tattoo on his arm, and although his unique power was his strength, he had the disadvantage of having a lot of ups and downs, such as double faults when he started to falter at difficult times.

Sabalenka said, “Compared to the past, I have improved a lot in that aspect,” and reflected, “I gained a lot of experience while competing in major tournaments, and in particular, losing in the US Open final last year was a good lesson for me.”

He did not record a single double fault in the final that day, and played a one-sided game that did not allow his opponent to break, achieving a lossless set win.

Sabalenka did not forget to express her gratitude to her father, who passed away in 2019.

His father, Sergei, a former ice hockey player, died suddenly in his early 40s in 2019.

It was his father who gave Sabalenka his first tennis racket when he was 6 years old, and his father"s usual wish was to become world number one and win a major tournament.

Sabalenka granted his father"s wish last year by winning the Australian Open and becoming world No. 1, but at the time of his father"s death, he was ranked in the top 10 in the world and his best result in a major tournament was the round of 16.

In an on-court interview immediately after winning, Sabalenka used humor by saying, "I"ll have to say hello to my family too.

But I don"t know if they"ll understand if I do it in English."

At a later press conference, she said, "Especially if it wasn"t for my father, who passed away four years ago, I wouldn"t have been able to do it today."

“I wouldn’t have been there,” he confessed.

Sabalenka, who was born in May 1998 and is 25 years old, said, “My father wanted me to win at least two major championships by the age of 25,” and added, “I am also grateful for the dedication and help of my family, including my mother, younger brother, and grandmother.” He said.

 

 

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Is it the Champion Woori Bank or KB with Park Ji-soo’s Return? Women"s Basketball Begins on November 5th

 

 

 

The 2023-2024 season begins with the official opening match between Woori Bank and BNK.

The 2023-2024 women"s professional basketball season will begin a journey of approximately five months starting with the opening game between Asan Woori Bank and Busan BNK on the 5th of next month.

Managers, coaches and representative players from six women"s basketball teams expressed their determination for the opening in front of 50 fans at the "Woori Bank Woori WON 2023-2024 Women"s Professional Basketball Media Day" held at Hotel Riviera in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 30th.

All six teams, including Woori Bank, which won the regular league and championship game last season, are aiming for the championship.

All head coaches, including coach Wi Sang-woo, the "longest-serving head coach in women"s basketball" who has led Woori Bank since 2012, and Yongin Samsung Life Insurance coach Lim Geun-bae, who ranked second in history during his tenure (2015-), continued to hold the baton this season as they did last season.

In particular, if Coach Wi adds 21 more wins, he will become the first coach in women"s professional basketball history to achieve 300 wins.

If Woori Bank also wins 14 more games, it will become the first team to achieve 500 wins.

While Woori Bank, which took second place in the Park Shin-ja Cup, which was held as an international competition for the first time in August and September, is expected to remain strong, Cheongju KB, with Park Ji-soo"s return, is also mentioned as a strong candidate for the championship.

Park Ji-soo and KB, the mainstays of Korean women"s basketball who missed the early and mid-2022-2023 season due to being diagnosed with panic disorder and concentrating on treatment, are aiming to reclaim the "throne" taken by Woori Bank.

BNK, which advanced to the championship game last season under the leadership of coach Park Jeong-eun, has maintained its core strength including Lee So-hee, Jin-an, and Kim Han-byeol, and is challenging this season"s structure, which is evaluated as a "two-strong system".

Samsung Life Insurance also shakes off the disappointment of last season when Kiana Smith, a former member of the Women"s National Basketball Association (WNBA), left the team due to an unexpected injury while establishing herself as an ace, and is looking to a higher level.

Among the transfer students, veteran Kim Jong-un stands out.

Kim Jong-un, who left Woori Bank after winning the 2022-2023 season, returned to his ‘parent’ Bucheon Hana One Q last April as a free agent.

Kim Jong-un, who was selected by Hana One Q"s predecessor Shinsegae as the first overall pick in the 2006 rookie draft, played for only one team until 2017.

Kim Jong-un"s addition is welcome for his former team, Hana One Q, which struggled to finish in last place last season.

Kim Jong-un is also challenging his career"s highest scoring record.

He is 339 points shy of the record of career leading scorer Jeong Seon-min (8,140 points), who has 7,801 points.

Yoo Seung-hee, who left Incheon Shinhan Bank, also raised expectations by joining Woori Bank, which is considered the strongest, after finishing last season.

Yoo Seung-hee was selected as the most anticipated transfer, recording 30.6% of the votes in a survey conducted among players, fans, and media personnel from six clubs.

Starting from the new season, the playoffs (PO) will be changed to a 5-games-3-win system.

Previously, it was 2 wins out of 3.

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‘21-year-old fullback with military service’ Hwang Jae-won “Every player’s dream is Europe, someday I too”

 

 

Presence as a next-generation player through Hangzhou AG... “Being able to relax on a big stage is an income.”

The player whose stock price soared the most at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, where the "young blood" of Korean soccer such as Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) and Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart) could be seen, is fullback Hwang Jae-won of Daegu FC in K League 1.

He had already grown into a key player in Daegu and was slowly becoming known. Born in 2002, he played an active role as a starting player even though he was the youngest member of "Hwangseonhongho", and made his presence known even more widely through his vigorous activity and active participation in attacks.

In particular, in the final against Japan, he helped Jeong Woo-young"s header equalize with an accurate cross in the 27th minute of the first half when Korea was trailing, and in the 11th minute of the second half, when Jo Young-wook (Gimcheon) scored the comeback final goal, he connected the ball to Jeong Woo-young between two Japanese players, setting the stage for the goal.

It played a role in laying down.

With the emergence of a next-generation national team-level fullback who showed off his skills regardless of offense and defense and even solved the military service issue with a gold medal, expectations for "advance to Europe" are also rising early.

Hwang Jae-won, who met with Yonhap News at DGB Daegu Bank Park on the 21st when the first game of the K League 1 final round against Jeonbuk Hyundai (Daegu lost 1-2) said, “I am grateful to receive a lot of love,” and added, “In fact, the team as a whole did well in the Asian Games.

Well done, there aren"t many things I did well.

“There were times when I lost goals due to my own mistakes, and it wasn’t 100% perfect,” he said.

Still, he said, "I was grateful just to participate in the competition representing Korea, and I felt a sense of responsibility.

I never knew when I would experience such a big competition again, so I always went in with the mindset of doing it without regrets."

“After playing on the stage, I feel like I have more confidence to overcome the pressure of being on a big stage with a lot of spectators,” he said.

He did not hide his "dream" about advancing to Europe, which became a hot topic after his performance in the Asian Games.

He said, “Europe is a stage that every soccer player wants to play on,” and “I also always have a dream of learning there.”

The Hangzhou Asian Games team included many players who played in Europe, including Lee Kang-in and Jung Woo-young, so it was also an opportunity for Hwang Jae-won to gain "indirect experience".

Jaewon Hwang said, “After hearing from my colleagues, they said that Europe is definitely very different from Korea.

Of course, there is a lot to learn in Korea, but they said that there are things that can be experienced and learned in Europe,” and added, “I heard a lot of positive things.”

However, he was completely faithful to the ‘present’.

Hwang Jae-won said, "I belong to Daegu, so my job is to show this team that we can continue to win.

I believe that if I work hard, an opportunity will come someday.

It"s not something I"m in a hurry to do, and I want to do my best in Daegu."

I said, give me strength.

He added, "I"m still lacking and have a lot of areas to improve," adding, "I"m a defender, so I need to improve my defensive skills a lot, and I want to improve my crossing accuracy."

In the sold-out Jeonbuk game with over 12,000 people in attendance, Daegu"s home fans congratulated him on winning the gold medal and welcomed his return by holding up a banner saying "Welcome back Hwang Jae-won" when Hwang Jae-won was substituted for Hong-cheol at the start of the second half.

Even on his way home from work after the game, he received louder cheers and requests for autographs than anyone else, making him realize his greatly increased interest and popularity.

Hwang Jae-won said, “The home fans came to support us in the first game of the final round, but it is disappointing that we could not repay them with a victory.”

He added, “I definitely want to give them a win in the next game, and we will participate in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) for the rest of the season.”

He emphasized, “We will continue to challenge for the right to participate.”

 

 

 

 

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