S. Korea eyes top-10 showing as countdown to Tokyo Olympics reaches 100 days

유지호 / 2021-04-14 15:59:04

S Korea-Olympics

▲ South Korean fencers train at the National Training Center in Jincheon, 90 kilometers south of Seoul, on April 14, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ South Korean athletes pose in the official national team formal wear during a ceremony marking the 100-day countdown to the Tokyo Olympics at the National Training Center in Jincheon, 90 kilometers south of Seoul, on April 14, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ South Korean athletes pose in the official national team tracksuits during a ceremony marking the 100-day countdown to the Tokyo Olympics at the National Training Center in Jincheon, 90 kilometers south of Seoul, on April 14, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ Lee Kee-heung, head of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, speaks during a press conference marking the 100-day countdown to the Tokyo Olympics at the National Training Center in Jincheon, 90 kilometers south of Seoul, on April 14, 2021. (Yonhap)

S Korea-Olympics

S. Korea eyes top-10 showing as countdown to Tokyo Olympics reaches 100 days

JINCHEON, South Korea, April 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has been one of the consistent forces at Summer Olympics, reeling off top-10 finishes in medal races at each of the past four competitions.

And the country wants to make it five in a row when the Tokyo Summer Games kick off in July.

The countdown to the competition, postponed by one year due to the coronavirus pandemic, reached 100 days on Wednesday. To commemorate the occasion, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSCO) opened the National Training Center in Jincheon, 90 kilometers south of Seoul, to the media, showcasing the country's medal hopefuls hard at work while senior officials discussed South Korea's preparation for the July 23-Aug. 8 competition.

KSOC President Lee Kee-heung announced during a press conference that South Korea's goal is to grab at least seven gold medals, which should be enough to put the country inside the top 10 again.

"The COVID-19 pandemic is among many challenges that our athletes will have to overcome at the Tokyo Olympics," Lee said. "But we at the KSOC will spare no effort to support our Olympians and make sure they'll be able to accomplish their goals without being distracted by outside factors."

The KSOC also introduced Jang in-hwa, chairman of Dongil Steel and former head of the Korean Shooting Federation for the Disabled, as South Korea's chef de mission at Tokyo.

Jang, 58, has also been the president of the Korea Waterski and Wakesports Association and has served on the KSOC's board of directors. He has been the head of Busan's metropolitan sports association since January 2020.

"Circumstances leading up to this year's Olympics are more difficult than ever before," Jang said. "Using my 20 years of experience in sports administration, I'll try to help our athletes perform to the best of their abilities."

Ahead of the first Olympics to be contested during the global pandemic, vaccination for Olympic athletes has also emerged as a topic of interest. While Tokyo organizers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) won't require participating athletes to be vaccinated before the competition, it is recommended, if vaccines are available in athletes' countries.

Lee said the government and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) are trying to determine the schedule for Olympians to be vaccinated, and inoculation could begin sometime this month.

Medal contenders at the press conference, including artistic gymnast Yang Hak-seon and sabre fencer Gu Bon-gil, said they'll get vaccinated just like many others in the country.

As of Monday, 177 South Korean athletes in 21 sports and 74 disciplines had qualified for Tokyo. Once all qualifying events are finished, the KSOC expects a total of 340 athletes in 27 sports to participate in the Olympics.

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