Yeo Gap-soon (50) former coach of the shooting national team, the gold medalist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, said in a trembling voice in a phone call with Yonhap News on the 29th.
Coach Yeo Gap-soon congratulated his student Ban Hyo-jin (16, Daegu Athletic High School), who won the gold medal in the 10m shooting air rifle at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and praised him.
Coach Yeo said, “[Ban] Hyo-jin said he only wanted to advance to the finals ahead of this Olympics, but I thought he would be able to win a medal,” adding, “I must have been very nervous, but I overcame the pressure well.”
Coach Yeo Gap-soon is the “original high school girl rifleman” who won the gold medal in the 10m air rifle at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics while attending Seoul Sports High School.
Coach Yeo has developed many prospects by walking the path of a leader after retirement, and has also directly coached Ban Hyo-jin as a full-time coach of the national team’s candidate.
Coach Yeo said, “Ban Hyo-jin worked harder than anyone else in the last winter training and wore the national flag,” adding, “Before going to the Paris Olympics, I asked her to buy me something delicious, but when she returns to Korea, I will buy Hyo-jin’s favorite malatang and tanghulu.”
He also said, “Ban Hyo-jin has a cheerful personality, unlike the former shooters,” and added, “He has a strong personality enough to raise his hand first and say he will do it when he sings during a break.”
He added, “It seems that the unique confidence and boldness have led to today’s results.”
In Korea, high school girls performed exceptionally well in the 10m Olympic shooting air rifle.
Coach Yeo Gap-soon and Kang Cho-hyun, who won a silver medal in the same event as the 2000 Sydney Olympics, were also in the third grade of Yuseong Girls’ High School at the time.
Director Yeo, who recalled the Barcelona stage 32 years ago, said, “I think young age is a big weapon,” adding, “Because I’m young, I feel less pressure on the big stage.”
Coach Yeo Gap-soon also talked about the Korean shooting team’s great performance at the Olympics.
“Korea’s shooting has experienced a slump, but it seems that the generational change has been successful,” Yeo said. “There are many candidates who can win the gold medal in the future. I think I will be able to achieve the best performance ever.”
The best performance in the Olympics was at the 2012 London Games, where Korean shooting won three gold medals and two silver medals.
Park Ha-joon (KT) and Geum Ji-hyun (Gyeonggi Provincial Office) won silver medals in the 10-meter air rifle mix on the 27th, the first day of the Paris competition, and Oh Ye-jin (IBK Industrial Bank) and Kim Ye-ji (Imsil County Office) swept gold and silver medals in the women’s 10-meter air pistol final on the 28th.
BY: 토토사이트