Unlike in the previous editions, South Korea have an undersized delegation for the upcoming Olympics 2024 in Paris.
It was reported that less than 150 South Korean athletes are expected to compete in the Paris Olympics, which is the lowest since they sent 50 athletes during the 1976 Canada Olympics. Since their boycott of the 1980 Games, South Korea have never sent less than 200 athletes until now.
Because of this, Lee Kee-Heung, the boss of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, is tempering his expectations in Paris. He said that the committee has set a provisional goal to haul in only five to six gold medals.
Despite the pessimistic outlook, South Korea should remain one of the most competitive countries in Paris, and SBOTOP is here to explain why.
Women’s archery team aiming for No. 10
Perhaps South Korea’s best chance of winning gold medals is through archery, according to the Olympics 2024 odds. They are, after all, the winningest nation in history, with 27 golds, nine silvers, and seven bronzes for a total of 43 medals since the event’s inclusion in 1972.
The women’s archery team has been particularly dominant at this event because they have won nine consecutive gold medals and are aiming for their 10th straight in Paris.
However, despite their history at this event, South Korea’s margin for error is smaller because they’ll be sending an almost entirely inexperienced lineup to Paris.
Breakout stars Lim Sihyeon, Jeon Hunyoung, and Nam Suhyeon will be leading the way for the South Koreans. Because she’s one of the oldest members at 29, Jeon Hunyoung is named the team captain.
An San was a huge revelation three years ago in the Tokyo Games, as she collected all three possible gold medals after she and Kim De Jeok powered their way to winning the first-ever Olympic mixed team gold medal.
However, after a subpar performance in the selection event in Gwangju in March, An San was omitted from this year’s squad, which goes to show how ruthless their selection process is.
Meanwhile, the men’s archery team is gunning for their third consecutive Olympic gold. Unlike the women’s team, the men’s will keep most of their core.
Kim Woojin will be competing in his third Olympics. He’ll have a huge chip on his shoulder, as he has never made it past the quarter-finals of the individual event, despite being a three-time World Archery Champion.
Kim will be joined by fellow standouts Kim Je Deok and Lee Wooseok in the men’s squad.
Looking to make a splash in swimming
South Korea are aiming to put an end to their medal drought in swimming since 2012, and they are fancying their chances to finally do so this time around.
World champions Hwang Sun-Woo and Kim Woo-Min will be headlining the national team, and both could add their names to the history books alongside Park Tae-Hwan, the only Olympic medalist in swimming for South Korea (one gold, three silvers).
Hwang Sun-Woo is fresh from winning gold in the men’s 200-meter freestyle at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in February. The 21-year-old was the only Korean swimmer to reach a final in Tokyo three years ago in both the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle races, but he came out empty-handed.
Kim Woo-Min, on the other hand, also won gold in the men’s 400-meter freestyle at the world championships and a silver medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay earlier this year. The 22-year-old is going to be the busiest player on the team since he will compete in four freestyle events (200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1500-meter).
Other than Hwang and Kim, South Korea also have Lee Ju-Ho and Cho Sung-Jae, who will also look to give their nation the ideal Olympics 2024 results.
Will Korea break their duck in cycling?
South Korea have never won a single Olympic medal in cycling, and the Paris Games may be their best opportunity, with Kim Eu-Ro and Song Min-Ji hitting the road.
Kim and Song have qualified for the Olympics for the first time, as the former earned his place via reallocation and the latter claimed hers through her UCI ranking.
However, despite the lack of Olympic experience, both Kim and Song have strong resumes already at such a young age.
Kim, 24, is fresh from winning this year’s Asian Road Cycling Championships, and he also won a silver medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games last fall. Song, 26, on the other hand, won gold at the Asian championships after winning the women’s road race.
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