'女 Table Tennis Challenge''Seo Hyo-won'Our guys will do it!銅Let's go eat duck soup]"

Aug 10, 2024

"Guys, let's win bronze and eat duck soup!"

KBS commentator Seo Hyo-won (Korea Racing Authority) of the "Spirit of Women's Table Tennis in Korea" was sure of the bronze medals of his juniors who competed in the final round of women's table tennis at the Paris Olympics.

The women's table tennis team consisting of Shin Yoo-bin (20, Korean Air, 7th in the world), Jeon Ji-hee (32, Mirae Asset Securities, 15th in the world), and Lee Eun-hye (29, Korean Air, 44th in the world) faced difficult opponent Germany in the women's team bronze medal match held at the South Paris Arena at 3 p.m. on the 10th (Korea time).

The women's table tennis team semifinal match between South Korea and China was held at South Paris Arena 4 in Paris, France on the 8th (Korea time). In the first match between Shin Yu-bin and Jeon Ji-hee and China's Chen Meng and Wang Man-yu, Jeon Ji-hee and Shin Yu-bin are drinking during operation time. Paris (France) = Reporter Chung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.8.8/

Shin Yu-bin (left) holds hands with Lee Eun-hye, who won the women's quarterfinal match at the French Olympic table tennis team at the South Paris Arena in Paris on the 6th (Korea time). Paris (France) = Reporter Chung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.8.6/

It is a revenge match for South Korea, which failed to advance to the semifinals after meeting in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics and losing 2-3 to Germany of Han Ying, San Xiaona and Petrissa Solya, and a bronze medal challenge for the first time in 16 years since the 2008 Beijing Games.

Germany is composed of Shan Xiaona (40th in the world), Yuan Wan (96th in the world), and Annette Kaufuman (100th in the world). New faces emerged as top ranker Nina Mitteram (17th) and veteran defender Han Ying (36th in the world) were unable to play due to injuries. Except for Shan Xiaona, they are unfamiliar members.

Seo Hyo-won said, "Injuries to German aces have resulted in the reserve players being members of the Olympics"Jihee met Kaufuman in Doha. I won 3-0, but I heard he has strong cheeks and is good at it. He explained, "A player who wears a short-fimple rubber and hits in front of him." "Shan Xiaona also failed to participate in the tournament for about two months due to an injury, but she beat me in the round of 16 at the Rio Games and beat (Shin) Yu-bin in the quarterfinals."

Seo Hyo-won said, `The recent record is not overwhelming, but I'm confident that we will win.' "The first doubles is really important, but Yu-bin and Ji-hee will win at number one. Although captain Eun-hye made her first appearance in the Olympics, she overcame the pressure well and saw that the backhand course was not bad even though she lost against Sun Ying-sha in the semifinal. "The key is to overcome the pressure of the bronze medal match. If Eun-hye wins in singles, she believes she can win 3-0. Even if I go all the way, I'll win 3-2. I believe in our children." "Only left-handed kaopu is an ambush. There is not much information. Coach Jung Young-sik, who is also commentating with him, also said that the first player to come out will cause accidents. In the end, I believed that Kaufuman had an accident or grace had an accident, but our grace would do it. "Good spirits are coming to our players. I will definitely win the last game with good energy as well."

Seo Hyo-won, who has led the women's team from the 2012 London Olympics to Rio in 2016, Tokyo in 2021, and the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, is the spiritual pillar of the women's team. Seo Hyo-won, who has been in the national team with his juniors for the past 10 years and competed fiercely with his juniors until June, said "It feels like getting up from the bench and cheering together while explaining." "Sometimes I miss the commentary because I'm cheering, but Chung Young-sik and Castor Kim Jin-woong are doing well, so I'm enjoying both cheering and commentating." " (Domestic Olympic Selection Standard) We went to competitions around the world together to enter the top 30 rankings. They relied on each other a lot even though they competed with grace. No matter who it is, I wanted to be in the top 30," he said with a smile.

The junior players of the national team frequently rely on Seo Hyo-won for sharing their minds with him through phone calls and text messages in Paris. Jeon Jihee said, "Are you sleeping after the game?" Hand over the text. I let go of my tiredness from the short call. Seo Hyo-won played a major role in the change in the atmosphere of the women's national team, which only focused on table tennis. Last year's Hangzhou Asian Games, the women's team work became stronger as they shared an apartment. At that time, captain Seo Hyo-won gave Shin Yoo-bin and Jeon Ji-hee a solitary room, and Yang Ha-eun and Lee Eun-hye shared a room. In fact, he volunteered for the living room bed. "Ace has to do well in the team event, so we decided to do so ourselves. Ji-hee and Yu-bin know that they should never do well alone, and how important the fighting spirit and unity of women's table tennis are. It was a time when we learned consideration and dedication for each other."

In an interview just before heading to Paris, Shin Yu-bin said, "Through the Hangzhou Asian Games, I learned the 'fighting spirit' of women's table tennis. When I saw Hyo-won at the bronze medal in the team event, I said 'That's what you call fighting spirit'. When I watched my sister's game, I cried. I learned that fighting spirit is to overcome so desperately and cheer up like that. I want to be a player like Hyowon and a captain like Hyowon. Seo Hyo-won smiled saying, `I remember Yubin coming up shyly from Hangzhou's accommodation and saying, `I'm touched by my sister.'

What does it mean for women's table tennis to reach the semifinals for the first time in 12 years and bronze for the first time in 16 years. Seo Hyo-won said, "(Kim) Kyung-ah (Korean Air coach) ranked fourth in London in 2012, and Na, Ji-hee and Ha-eun have been holding out together. As Yubin entered the national team, the team became stronger. Doubles are the best in the world. On the other hand, most of the women's teams except China and Japan are down. We've got the third seed, and a good chance has come. It is a power that can be done regardless of which team other than China meets. We have an advantage in the match against Germany." Then "Everything was the result of the hard process. There have been numerous failures over the past decade, but everyone has been a process. Even though I didn't make it to the Olympics, I always think we're all playing together in this generation. It is the result that we all endured together, and I am sure that the result of this process, which everyone did their best, will surely come to fruition."

Seo Hyo-won is a good senior and friend of naturalized players as well as Shin Yu-bin. "Ji-hee, I have a lot of grace and memories. I read Korean books with two naturalized players. I remember reading a book about happiness when Eun-hye was struggling with a slump." "Jihee and I went to get a sports massage on weekends after eating health food like duck soup. He really only knows table tennis. I only watch ping pong videos when I come home on the weekend. The dog's name is also 'Tablegu', he said with a smile.

He expressed his long-cherished desire for the Korean women's table tennis at the Paris Olympics and his support for his juniors who are trying to win the first Olympic medal in 16 years. "Guys, let's get the bronze medal and go eat duck soup! Jihee, think of 'table tennis (puppy)'!"

Paris = Reporter Jeon Young-ji sky4us@sportschosun.com

sky4us@sportschosun.com

'女 Table Tennis Challenge''Seo Hyo-won'Our guys will do it!銅Let's go eat duck soup]"

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