Korean taekwondo team eyes gold in Paris after being shut out in Tokyo

Korean taekwondo team eyes gold in Paris after being shut out in Tokyo

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After Korea got shut out of gold medals in taekwondo at the previous Olympics, members of the national

team bound for Paris said Tuesday they will try to bring home a big prize this time.

With head coach Lee Chang-geon in charge, Korea will send four athletes to the taekwondo competition at

the Paris Olympics: Park Tae-joon in the men's 58 kilograms, Seo Geon-woo in the men's 80kg, Kim Yu-

jin in the women's 57kg and Lee Da-bin in the women's +67kg.

"As the home of taekwondo, we will try our best to post great results at the Paris Olympics," coach Lee told

reporters at the national team media day at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 85

kilometers southeast of Seoul. "Our goal is to win at least one gold medal."

That would be one more than Korea's total at the Tokyo Olympics, where the once-proud taekwondo

national settled for one silver medal and two bronze medals.

Taekwondo became a medal sport in 2000 and had never failed to produce a gold for the country until the

disappointing performance in the Japanese capital, despite being represented by six athletes, a record

high for Korea.

Lee defined the country's performance in 스포츠토토존 Tokyo as a "failure."

"Because we experienced that failure in Tokyo, we will try to make sure we accomplish our goal at this

year's Olympics," the coach added. "Our athletes have been going through customized training programs

to get ready. I am looking forward to seeing their work pay off."

Lee Da-bin was the lone silver medalist in Tokyo, where she lost to Milica Mandic of Serbia in the final.

She said she has already enjoyed the benefits of individualized training routines.

"I think we will all be able to compete in our best form," the 27-year-old said. "We will all go in with a

sense of urgency, and I think it will lead to great results."

Lee said she is in far better form now than three years ago. She had a foot surgery before Tokyo and her

rehab continued on until right before the big competition.

"I was grateful just to be able to compete in Tokyo. I guess I was satisfied with the silver medal because I

hadn't really trained much for the Olympics then," Lee looked back. "Now that I've had my taste of the

Olympics, I think I can do better this time. I've done everything I wanted as a taekwondo athlete. I just

have to win an Olympic gold."

Park is considered the strongest medal contender for Korea. He is also the first of the four Koreans to see

action, with the medals in his weight class scheduled to be awarded Aug. 7.

"I want to go out and win the gold medal, so that I can set a positive tone for my teammates," Park said. "I

think getting off to a good start will be important for the whole team. I am working on different sets of

strategies against different opponents, with a focus on how I should respond to different situations."

Park defeated the reigning Olympic bronze medalist Jang Jun in the national team trials in February to

grab his ticket to Paris. Park will make his Olympic debut at age 20.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling any pressure," Park said of the expectations surrounding his medal

chances. "I am trying to channel that into motivation and to stay focused on my training. I will try to be

fearless in my first Olympics."

Coach Lee, despite his declaration that the team will be out to pick up a gold medal, acknowledged that he

may not have such a talented team on his hands.

"Our team may not be as good as the one in Tokyo, and athletes from other countries have improved a

great deal," Lee said. "All four of our athletes could win gold, but at the same time, none of them could win

gold. That's the way it has been in taekwondo lately

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