[Anchor]
Ahead of the Asian Games coming up this September, the South Korean national 400-meter relay team has issued a fiercely confident manifesto. Vowing to "easily defeat" host nation Japan, a global powerhouse, they pledged to claim the country's first-ever gold medal in the relay.
Reporter Hong Seok-jun has the story.
[Reporter]
Wearing the national flag together this year, Joel-jin and Biwesa have both clocked 10.13 seconds, tying for the second-fastest 100-meter times in Korean history. They are unprecedented rivals in South Korean sprinting.
While fiercely competing to break the national record and enter the 9-second barrier, occasionally showing subtle friction, the two have completely changed now that they are connected by a single baton.
[Joel-jin / National 400m Relay Team: Since the hyung and I came here (to the national team) with the same goal, I think we make great partners.]
[Biwesa / National 400m Relay Team: Being on the same team means there is nothing to fear. (Do you feel secure?) I sleep really well these days.]
With Joel-jin and Biwesa taking charge of the straightaways as a "two-headed carriage," joined by Seo Min-jun—a core member who broke the Korean 400m relay record three times last year with explosive starts—Lee Jae-sung, who excels on the curves, and oldest team member Kim Si-on, the team has formed its "strongest roster in history" and now communicates just by looking into each other's eyes.
[Biwesa / National 400m Relay Team: Just by watching the first step, I know when he's going to raise his arm (now).]
Their confidence heading into the September Asian Games in Nagoya is through the roof.
They are confident they can capture the nation's first-ever gold medal by defeating not only the reigning champion from the Hangzhou Games, China, but also host nation and world-class powerhouse Japan.
[Kim Si-on / National 400m Relay Team: We don't even think of Japan as our rival. If our first and third runners help out well, I think we can easily beat a country like Japan.]
[Seo Min-jun / National 400m Relay Team: We will work hard to make sure we win the gold medal right there in Japan.]
"Fighting!"
(Video by Yoo Dong-hyuk, Video Editing by Hwang Ji-young, Design by Hwang Se-yeon)
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