Korea gears up for Olympics

They have waited four years. And now, Korean athletes are fully prepared to wow the Olympic crowds in Beijing.

The Korean national team, composed of 267 athletes in 25 sports, aims to win more than 10 gold medals and place within the top 10.

Medals are expected to be won in wrestling, archery, taekwondo, judo, swimming, badminton, weightlifting, shooting and gymnastics. Korean athletes have led in these sports since the early 1980s.

Wrestling

Wresting is important in Korea`s Olympic history, as the nation`s first gold medal was earned in this event in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Jung Ji-hyun, the winner of the men`s 60-kg category in the 2004 Athens Olympics, is aiming to win another medal in Beijing this year. Kim Jung-sup, a gold medalist at the Doha Asian Games, and Park Eun-chul, a silver-medal winner in the 2007 World Championships, are other wrestlers to keep an eye on.

Archery

Some say that a Korean archer can hit a bull`s eye even with her eyes closed. Archery has been dominated by Korea since the early 1980s. Most of the world records are held by Korean archers, as well. Experts say the trend should continue this year. However, tough challenges will be given by Chinese archers.

Four medals are at stake in the individual and group events. There are high hopes for female archers Park Sung-hyun, Yoon Ok-hee and Joo Hyun-jung. Park earned two gold medals in Athens and played a key role in bagging the team`s gold.

On the men`s side, Im Dong-hyun, Lee Chang-whan and Park Kyung-mo are aiming for gold medals. Im, who won the 2007 World Championship, is a strong challenger for a gold medal in the individual category.

Judo

Since 1984, the largest number of medals Korea has won is in judo. A total of 14 medals are at stake in judo this year.

The competition, however, is expected to be even fiercer in Beijing, as competitors from Europe, South America and Japan have become stronger.

Gold medals are expected in the men`s 60kg, 73kg and 81kg and the women`s 78kg categories. Choi Min-ho is expected to top the men`s 60kg category after winning a bronze medal in Athens.

Wang Ki-choon, a winner at the 2008 World Championship, and Kim Jae-bum are also chasing gold medals in the men`s 73kg and 82kg categories.

Jang Sung-ho, a silver medalist in the men`s 100kg in Athens and a gold medalist at the Doha Asian Games, is also going for gold in Beijing.

Female fighters, who won two bronzes at the 2000 Sydney Games, are strong in the 78kg and 48kg categories. Jung Gyung-mi, a bronze-medal winner at 2007 World Championship, is expected to bring a medal home.

Taekwondo

Korea is expecting three gold medals in the traditional martial-arts discipline, which made its Olympic debut in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Korea won three gold medals in 2000, but the number dipped to two in Athens.

The national team`s quest for medals will be spearheaded by Hwang Kyung-seon, a two-time world champion in the women`s under-67kg category. She settled for the bronze in Athens.

Cha Dong-min, winner of the men`s over-80kg heavyweight title at the 2006 Student Games, is another medal hopeful.

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Swimming

Park Tae-hwan is pursuing a gold medal in the men`s 400m freestyle. He has won five international championships since 2005 and recently beat rival Aussie Grant Hackett in two competitions. His race is scheduled for Aug. 10.

Other sports



Dubbed the "Female Hercules," Jang Mi-ran is expected to bring home a gold medal in the women`s-over- 75kg category in weightlifting. She won a silver medal in Athens and a gold medal at the Doha Asian Games.

Korea is also expecting a medal in handball. Korea topped the women`s event in 1988 and 1992 and won silvers in 1996 and 2004. The famous handball couple Kang Il-ku and Oh Young-ran tied the knot in 2005.



By Jeong Hyeon-ji



(hannahj@heraldm.com)