Departure via Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 12th… Olympic team departure begins
Pre-training camp/separate training site for local adaptation and Olympic preparation
ⓒNewsis
The Korean Olympic badminton, shooting, and boxing teams are on their way to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The national badminton, shooting, and boxing teams departed for Paris, France via Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 12th. The team arrived at around 8:00 AM and went through check-in procedures, and the plane they were boarding took off at around 11:00 AM.
The national badminton team led by coach Kim Hak-gyun departed the country with 17 members, including 12 representative players, including women’s singles player Ahn Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance), men’s doubles player Seo Seung-jae and Kang Min-hyeok (both Samsung Life Insurance), and women’s doubles player Lee So-hee (Incheon International Airport) and Baek Ha-na (MG Saemaul Geumgo), as well as coaching staff including coach Kim.
The national badminton team will undergo a pre-training camp to acclimate to the local area before entering the athletes’ village after arriving, and will enter the village on the 22nd. They will continue their journey toward the gold medal from the preliminary round on the 27th to the final on the 5th of next month.
Coach Kim said, “We have prepared a lot for a long time. We have almost finished the training that we will do in Korea, and we plan to go there and do about 10 days of adaptation training at a pre-training camp before entering the athletes’ village.”
He added, “I think adapting to the local environment will be the final key. The matchup will be announced on the day we arrive (in Paris). Since the opposing players will be clearly known, we need to train tactically to prepare for it.”
“As I said last time, our goal is the best performance in Olympic history,” said Coach Kim, who reiterated that “the players’ abilities have improved and the coaches have responded, so we are going to achieve our best goal ever.”
Coach Kim expressed his determination, saying, “The Olympics will be held in less than a year after the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. I will work hard and do my best so that all fans will not be disappointed and we can enjoy a second glory.”
An Se-young, who appeared in front of the press as a representative of the team, said, “I’ve had a really hard week. I think I’m going through a lot of emotions. As (the Olympics) approach, it feels more real. I think I’ll gain confidence if I go there and prepare well.”
An Se-young, who also won the French Open last March, said, “I’ve only been to France twice, but the fact that I’ve performed well both times is something to look at positively. I think the most important thing is how you go about it.”
An Se-young, who said she wanted to come in after the Olympics while shaking champagne, ended the interview by saying, “I prepared hard to live up to expectations. I hope more people will watch me. I hope you will cheer me on so that I can end it romantically.”
The shooting team led by coach Gap-seok Jang will be leaving with 21 players and coaches, including rapid-fire pistol Song Jong-ho (IBK Industrial Bank of Korea), 25m pistol Yang Ji-in (Korea National Sport University), and 50m rifle 3 positions Lee Eun-seo (Seosan City Hall).
At the media day in May, coach Jang said, “Based on the results we have achieved in recent international competitions, we will achieve good results at the 2024 Paris Olympics,” and added, “It is difficult to name a specific event because they are all very different, but we are aiming for one gold medal, two silver medals, and one bronze medal at this competition.”
After arriving at the site, the shooting team will begin acclimation at a separate training site rather than a pre-training camp before entering the athletes’ village on the 19th.
The boxing team led by head coach Kim Ho-sang will head to Paris with five members, including Oh Yeon-ji (Ulsan Metropolitan City Hall), Lim Ae-ji (Hwasun County Hall), and the coaching staff.
Oh Yeon-ji expressed her determination, saying, “As a national representative participating in the Olympics, I will confidently perform what I have prepared with pride and return.”
The boxing team, like the badminton team, will train at a pre-tournament training camp after arriving in Paris and then enter the athletes’ village on the 19th.
[인천공항=뉴시스]
2024-07-12 03:30:32
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