No. 153 / Sep 6, 2021
The Tokyo Olympics, where many legends were written, ended successfully. South Korea finished 16th, overall, and athletes who did their best achieved good results. However, the difference between popular and unpopular events was also extreme in the Olympics. The three terrestrial broadcasters that had the right to broadcast the Tokyo Olympics covered only the event when popular events such as baseball and soccer were played. On the day of the baseball game between Korea and the Dominican Republic, track and field high jump, women’s basketball, and women’s weightlifting were broadcast on cable or sub-channels, and women’s weightlifting was not broadcast live at all.
Athletes in not-so-popular sports that are treated coldly in this manner also struggle during training and in life. Weightlifting, athletics, and modern pentathlon are only supported with goods, and there are no sponsors for rowing. Training can be carried out without sponsorship, but the training conditions are not conducive for the players. One of the national players spends his training life doing odd jobs. In less popular sports and games, there are no professional or unemployed teams; therefore, they cannot be supported by the team. Then, Training allowances during the training period are less than the minimum hourly wage, thereby making training difficult.
Even in difficult situations, athletes are paying through hard work and training. Ahn Ba-ul was suspended for six months in 2019 due to unsavory events but won a bronze medal and shed tears. It was the first time that Korea won a medal in the modern pentathlon. In the countryside, where it takes more than 20 minutes by car to go to a restaurant, Jun Woong-tae and modern pentathlon athletes trained hard and achieved a bronze medal. Unfortunately, there is a game that gave the athletes strength even though they failed to win a medal. The track and field high jump athletes ended in fourth place after 25 years since 1996. Woo Sang-hyeok achieved his personal best by setting a new Korean record in the final round; his positive energy during the game was conveyed to the public, which made them feel the significance of the Olympics again.
Now that the Olympics are over, athletes are going back to their daily lives and preparing for another competition. If Korea is interested not only in popular sports but also less popular sports and resolves polarization, the country will become a sports powerhouse.
By Kim Jae-hyun, AG Reporter
zxc2337@ajou.ac.kr
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