10% of 867 athletes 83 are teenagers
Chess Kim Sarang and skateboarding Moon Kang-ho were born in 2011 and marked the Taegeuk at the age of 6.
Table tennis Shin Yubin, national team member since 4 years ago Archery Kim Jeduk, already won 2 gold medals at the Olympics
Baseball Jang Hyun-seok, first AG as a high school player
There are 83 teenage athletes, including two elementary school students, among the South Korean athletes competing at the Hangzhou Asian Games, which officially open on Wednesday. These are the so-called “prodigies” who began competing in their respective sports at the age of five and earned their Taekwondo marks before reaching their teens. 스포츠토토 Skateboarder Moon Kang-ho and chess player Kim Sarang are both in the sixth grade of elementary school, making her the youngest member of the Korean team at the Games. Kim Jeduk, a two-time Tokyo Olympian in archery, and Shin Yubin, a teenager in table tennis, are also going for gold. Rhythmic gymnast Son Ji-in aims for an individual medal nine years after Son Yeon-jae. Sports climbing’s Seo Chae-hyun is determined to reach the top of the podium at the Asian Games.
Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, China, on Tuesday afternoon. The Korean athletes, who arrived here three days before the Hangzhou Asian Games, were waiting at the arrival hall to tell the Korean media about their intentions to compete. However, when it was time for one of the athletes to take his turn, the press quickly approached and lowered the height of the microphone stand. The athlete was only 145 centimeters tall, so the microphone covered his face. It was South Korean skateboarder Moon Kang-ho.
A sixth grader, Moon was born in April 2011. He is the second youngest of the 1140 athletes (867 athletes and 273 officials) from South Korea competing at the Asian Games. Chess player Kim Sarang, also a sixth grader, was born in November 2011, seven months after Moon Kang-ho. They are two of the “unusual” elementary school athletes in the Korean contingent at the Games. “I’m really excited,” said Moon. I want to introduce the charm of skateboarding to my country, 토토 and my goal is to reach the finals,” he said with determination. He hasn’t developed an autograph yet, so when fans ask for it, he just writes his name over and over again. Kim Sa-ra is hoping to beat women’s world No. 1 He Wuifan (29-China) and win a medal at the tournament. Korean chess has yet to win a medal at the Asian Games.
Eighty-three of the South Korean players competing at the Hangzhou Asian Games, which officially open on Wednesday, are teenagers. That’s one in 10. All six members of Moon’s skateboarding team are teenagers, with an average age of 15.6. Han Jae-jin, a 19-year-old college student, is the oldest member of the skateboard team.
There are many athletes who have been called “gifted” or “genius” since they were younger, as they have the skills to be selected for the national team as teenagers. Shin Yubin is one such example. Born in July 2004, the 19-year-old appeared on a TV talent show at the age of six and showed off her table tennis skills to a nationwide audience. At the time, she was dubbed a “table tennis prodigy” for wielding a racket so tall that only her head was visible above the table. When she was selected for the 2019 national team, she was 14 years and 11 months old, making her the youngest player ever to wear the Taeguk mark. Shin, who is the world No. 1 in women’s doubles alongside her older sister Jeon Jeon-hee, 31, will be looking to win South Korea’s first table tennis gold medal in 21 years at the Asian Games.
Kim Jeduk (19), who appeared on TV as an “archery prodigy” in the sixth grade, will be competing in his first Asian Games. Kim is the poster boy for Korean men’s archery, having already won two gold medals (men’s team and mixed team) at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago. He has also finished on top of the World Championships three times (2019, 2021, 2023). Moon Kang-ho is also a gifted skateboarder who earned the Taekwondo mark after only three years of skateboarding, and he wants to make a name for himself in Hangzhou. He developed his skills by skateboarding on a pipe his father built in the yard of their home in Gangneung. Sports Climbing’s Seo Chae-hyun has been showing off her rock climbing talent on TV since she was 10 years old. Born in 2003 and celebrating her 20th birthday in November, Seo is determined to make up for missing out on a medal in Tokyo with a gold in Hangzhou.
Women’s handball’s ‘super rookie’ Kim Min-seo will be looking to make a mark on the Asian Games as well as the domestic league. Kim joined Samcheok City Hall after graduating from high school in February this year and was named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Women’s Handball League in the 2022-2023 season. Last year, she was named the tournament MVP after leading South Korea to its first-ever title at the U18 World Championship. It was the first title won by a non-European nation. Kim, 19, born in February 2004, will help the Korean women’s handball team win its third consecutive Asian Games title in Hangzhou.
Son Ji-in will attempt to win an individual medal for Korean rhythmic gymnastics at the Asian Games for the first time in nine years since Incheon 2014. At that time, Son Yeon-jae won the gold medal. Born in December 2006, Son Ji-in is 16 years and 9 months old and is often referred to as the “second Son Yeon-jae” because of her facial resemblance. The baseball team, which will try to win its fourth consecutive Asian Games, is led by Masan Yongmago third-year pitcher Jang Hyun-seok (pictured). At 19 years old, Jang is the first high school player to be selected to the Asian Games baseball team. Jang, who throws a fastball that reaches speeds of up to 156 kilometers per hour, has signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. 스포츠토토링크