Who is the winner of the first gold medal and surprise medal for the Korean team?

Aug 29, 2024

Taewokwon Ju Jung-hoon, the No. 1 gold medalist in the Korean Paralympic squad. Photo courtesy = Korea Sports Council for the Disabled

'Who won the first gold medal for the Korean Paralympic team?'

The 2024 Paris Paralympics kicked off in earnest with an opening ceremony at 3 a.m. on the 29th. In this competition, South Korea aims to win more than five gold medals in shooting, table tennis, and boccia, and rank 20th overall. However, this is only a 'cautious' estimate. More than that may be possible depending on whether or not the players who are not expected to win the gold medal do well. The non-disabled athletes have already won 13 gold medals at the Paris Olympics, more than double the original target (five gold medals). The Paralympic team also hopes that the Olympic team will continue to do well.

Currently, Joo Jung-hoon (30) of Taekwondo is the most likely winner of the first gold medal of the Korean Paralympic team. Joo, who won his first taekwondo appearance and first medal at the 2021 Tokyo Games, is aiming for the gold medal at the event. Joo Jung-hoon said, "There was COVID-19 during the Tokyo competition, and due to lack of preparation, I couldn't analyze the opponent properly"But this time, I'm analyzing from the first opponent, and I'm thinking about going up to the gold medal step by step without looking far away."."

Joo Jung-hoon is determined to participate in the competition. "I thought I could play without regret if I thought it was my last game in this tournament," he said. "I'll play on the field thinking it's my last chance."

Taewokwon Ju Jung-hoon, the No. 1 gold medalist in the Korean Paralympic squad. Photo courtesy = Korea Sports Council for the Disabled

Joo Jeong-hoon picked 'himself' as a contender to become the first gold medalist in taekwondo. Joo Jung-hoon says a lot that 'Mental' is weak around him. He is a player who can do it, but when he loses his mind, he breaks down in a moment in a game that he may win. "So I made my own know-how while undergoing sports science psychology ahead of the Paris Games. Shout out the part I need to focus on four times, then shout out of my mouth once and play the game again."

Triathlon Kim Hwang-tae. Photo courtesy = Korea Sports Council for the Disabled

Meanwhile, there are candidates for an unexpected 'surprise medal' Kim Hwang-tae (47), who succeeded in participating in the Paralympics in triathlon (triathlon) for the first time in Korean sports for the disabled. Kim Hwang-tae, who started working out a year after having his arms amputated due to an electric shock and challenged himself in various events such as skiing and taekwondo to dream of 'national team' and 'participating in the Paralympics', changed his sport to triathlon and finally succeeded in participating in the Paralympics.

"As I always said, I came to the stage of my dream, so I don't really want anything more," Kim Hwang-tae said. "It's a dream to finish safely without getting hurt." Kim Hwang-tae's goal is 'Wanju' and 11th place. Kim Hwang-tae said, `Originally, my goal was 10th place, but I changed it to 11th place. "The wild card increased by one person. "Triathlon is a record game, but there's not much room for the front and back players to close the gap."

In fact, Kim Hwang-tae can enter the medal table just by looking at the track and field (5km) and the cycle (20km). However, she always forgets her records in swimming (750 meters) because she has no arms. It's a vulnerable sport. Compared to medalists, the average swimming record is 8 to 9 minutes behind. This is why it is difficult to raise the ranking. "If the water is calm, you can catch a few people, but the goal is to finish it safely because of the flow rate," Kim Hwang-tae said.

But there is one variable here. If the flow rate of the Seine River increases and the way of the game changes, Kim Hwang-tae may win a surprise medal. Currently, the Paris Paralympic Organizing Committee is reportedly considering three options for swimming: up and down (Plan A), upstream → down (Plan B), or 'duathlon' (Plan C), which excludes swimming altogether. If it is decided by Plan C, Kim Hwang-tae deserves a medal. However, Kim Hwang-tae is holding back his optimism. He said "I don't want Plan C, and even if I only change to Plan B, I don't have to go swimming backwards, so I might be better."

wman@sportschosun.com