"This kid will be an Olympic medalist in 16 years." The Miracle of Shin Yu-bin

Jul 31, 2024

Photo provided by reporter Ahn Sung-ho from Monthly Tabletsu

How about the Korean table tennis mixed doubles team Lim Jong-hoon (Korea Exchange) and Shin Yu-bin (Korean Air) in the mixed doubles bronze medal match against Hong Kong's Chiudang-Nina Mitelham team at South Paris Arena 4 in Paris, France on the 30th (Korea Standard Time)?Won Chunting - Du Hoicem Group (Hong Kong, No. 4 in the world) won a valuable bronze medal with a 4-0 (11-5 11-7 11-7 14-12) complete victory. South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin, who won the bronze medal, pose on the podium. Paris (France) = Reporter Chung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.07.30/

"Two Olympics where it's hard to go.... I'm a really happy table tennis player."

Shin Yoo-bin (20, Korean Air) met ahead of his participation in the Paris Olympics and was brave. When Paris showed her a gold medal picture of the Eiffel Tower engraved with a piece of scrap metal for the first time in Paris, she said, "Wow!" I gave an exclamation point. Shin Yu-bin has a sunlight-like energy that brightens up the surroundings. It has been the same since childhood, when it was called 'Tablegu Shindong'.

He began to match his mixed doubles with Lim Jong-hoon in September 2022 and participated in as many as 26 large and small WTT competitions together in two years. I went to Brazil and Nigeria twice, and I went around the world to Peru, South Africa, and Oman. Shin Yu-bin did not lose his smile even in a situation where his body and mind were exhausted by the murderous competition schedule and there was no place with limbs. "It's not hard at all. It's fun to play."

In fact, after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Shin's past three years have been as turbulent and dynamic as the world ranking, which has soared from 85th in the world to 8th in the world. At the 2021 Houston World Championships, he was on the operating table twice with a wrist fatigue fracture. I haven't had a racket in more than a year. It was a day when I was in tears that I might not be able to play table tennis again. However, immediately after the second surgery, he won two gold medals at the WTT competition and flew back. Ahead of the Durban World Championship, the world ranking jumped to 19th, and it met the 'World's 20th automatic selection rule' like a ghost. In the women's doubles at the Durban World Championships, he went to the finals and won a silver medal with Jeon Ji-hee (Mirae Asset Securities) for the first time in 36 years. The Hangzhou Asian Games also played dramatically, overcoming the worst conditions. Shin Yu-bin has regained her first women's doubles gold medal in 21 years for South Korea in the tournament, which could not have been played due to injury unless it was postponed for a year due to COVID-19. "The energy of the universe helps me... I'm also a mystery. It's a series of miracles."

Photo by Ahn Sung-ho, a monthly tabloid reporter

Shin Yu-bin, who has become Korea's leading sports star, was appointed as an ambassador for cosmetics brand Talidakum following the sponsorship of Shinhan Bank and Nike, and was also selected as a model for Coca-Cola Powerade ahead of the Paris Olympics. "It's the love I can receive because I'm an athlete, and I'm so grateful. I want to share the love I received from table tennis with my fans and juniors." Since Shin Yu-bin presented sneakers to underprivileged children with his first salary since joining Korean Air, he has continued his good work by sponsoring surgery costs for children with cancer, delivering table tennis supplies to junior dreamers, and sending coffee cars and snack cars to the national competition of junior high and high school federation juniors. "My juniors send me a thank you via SNS DM for the snack. I feel proud and happy. Young juniors are going to watch my game, so I have to do better at the Olympics"

Photo provided =Monthly Tableware

On the 30th (Korea time), the bronze medal match for mixed table tennis doubles between Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin of South Korea and Wong Chun-Ting of Hong Kong was held at South Paris Arena 4 in Paris, France. South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yoo-bin, who won the bronze medal, are celebrating for the stands. Paris (France) = Reporter Chung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.07.30/

On the 30th (Korea time), the bronze medal match for mixed table tennis doubles between Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin of South Korea and Wong Chun-Ting of Hong Kong was held at South Paris Arena 4 in Paris, France. South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin, who won the bronze medal, are cheering with the national flag. Paris (France) = Reporter Chung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.07.30/

After all, everything is attitude. Showing the surgical scars on the pan's palms, "The lifeline has gotten longer," he said with a smile. To those who criticize the poor performance of the Busan World Championship, "If you think so and relieve your stress, I'm okay. I know you're working hard, and the sky knows and you can be proud of yourself," he said. Ahead of her trip to Paris, she said, `I'm very excited because I know how fun the Olympics are. The goal is to win a medal, but the biggest goal is to play a game that I like. It's better to win a medal."

Shin Yu-bin broke the "best moment" in Paris with his "left-handed partner" Lim Jong-hoon. Following the semi-final performance against China's strongest team, the bronze medal match, which turned Hong Kong's group 4-0, was unbeatable. It was a brilliant match, which the president of the Korea Table Tennis Association named 'Olympic Champion' Yoo Seung Min also admitted 'Best Table Tennis I've ever seen' "When I play my favorite game in the Olympics, I get a medal" was as she said.

Shin Yu-bin's path is the history of Korean table tennis. Following the World Championship and Asian Games, the goddess of the Olympics did not turn away from Shin. After catching the racket from the age of three, he beat his college sister in elementary school and joined Korean Air, a vocational team, instead of going to high school, for 20 years. Heaven gave an Olympic medal to a lovely table tennis player who does his best every moment but knows how to look around and truly enjoy table tennis.

sky4us@sportschosun.com

"This kid will be an Olympic medalist in 16 years." The Miracle of Shin Yu-bin

Sports