With just seven days to go until the start of the Games (March 23), the pace of Team Korea’s preparations for the Hangzhou Asian Games is accelerating. Athletes in key sports who will be competing for gold have completed their practice checks and are making final preparations for the Asian Games.안전놀이터
South Korean badminton standout Ahn Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance) has been one of the busiest athletes in the lead-up to the Asian Games. In the last three months, she has traveled between South Korea, Japan, China, and Denmark, playing a series of World Championships and Open events. She comes into the Asian Games on a high, having won her last four events in a row to become the world No. 1 in women’s singles badminton.
“I was the youngest player at Jakarta-Palembang 2018, so it’s refreshing to be in a good mood this time,” Ahn said at the Asian Games team selection ceremony on Wednesday, adding, “I won the China Open (which was a precursor to the Asian Games), but I realized I had fitness issues. At the Asian Games, we have to play a lot of matches (individual and team). I’m going to focus more on physical fitness before the Games,” she said.
Most of the major players have been competing in various tournaments until recently. Kang Chae-young and Lee Woo-seok, among others, competed at the Archery World Cup Finals in Hermosillo, Mexico, which ended on Nov. 11. Kang won gold in the women’s event and Lee won silver in the men’s event. Table tennis (1 silver, 5 bronze) and taekwondo (2 bronze) took note of their tasks ahead of the Asian Games at the Asian Championships and World Grand Prix Finals.
The swimming and fencing teams, who completed their international campaigns earlier this month, continued their final preparations for the Asian Games at the Jincheon National Athletes’ Village in Chungcheongbuk-do. Hwang Sun-woo, who is hoping to win a trio of medals in the 100-200 meter freestyle and 800 meter freestyle relay, said, “There are a lot of Korean freestyle swimmers, not just me. I’m trying hard to keep up with Fan Zhanle (China), who is also doing well in individual events. I think I will be able to focus well,” he said.
Korea is sending its largest-ever contingent of 1,140 athletes and officials in 39 sports to Hangzhou. The rowing team was the first to arrive in Hangzhou on the first day of the Games due to the transportation of equipment. The men’s soccer and men’s volleyball teams will follow on the afternoon of the 16th, and the modern pentathlon team will fly to Hangzhou on the 17th. The main group of athletes from shooting, tennis, roller sports and men’s hockey will leave for Hangzhou on the afternoon of the 20th.
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