▲ Kim Hyeon-woo poses after winning the men's general division Greco-Roman 82kg wrestling event at the 107th National Sports Festival held at the Jeju Complex Sports Center on the 20th.
South Korean wrestling legend Kim Hyeon-woo (38, Bucheon City Hall), a gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, has firmly maintained his position as the nation's top wrestler even as he approaches his 40s.
Kim claimed the top spot in the men's general division Greco-Roman 82kg wrestling event at the 107th National Sports Festival, held on the 20th at the Jeju Complex Sports Center.
After defeating Park Dae-geon (Sejong City Wrestling Association) 7-0 in the quarterfinals, Kim overpowered Yang Se-jin (Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation) 9-0 by technical superiority in the semifinals, and went on to secure the gold medal by beating Kang Bo-seong (Sungshin Cement) 13-10 in the final.
However, Kim's expression was not bright after claiming the victory, and he could not hide his bittersweet feelings over the reality of South Korean wrestling, where juniors capable of surpassing him are rarely emerging.
Kim said, "As I get older, everything hurts, and my recovery time has slowed down. I do not have much time left to compete as an active athlete, but it breaks my heart that a player capable of surpassing me has not yet appeared."
He appealed, "It seems like my juniors will lose their goal once I retire. I hope my juniors will catch up to me as soon as possible. Please force me into retirement."
The reason Kim continues his athletic career despite injuries and physical strain stems from his sense of responsibility toward his juniors.
While competing as an active athlete, he is also directly stepping up to discover and nurture promising talents.
Last July, he was appointed as a future national team coach by the Korea Wrestling Federation and began teaching junior athletes.
Kim said the responsibility he feels as a coach is similar to what he felt 14 years ago during the London Olympics.
He expressed concern, saying, "At the 2012 London Olympics, if I had not won a gold medal, South Korean wrestling would have faced the disgrace of failing to win a single gold. The feeling is similar now. If we fail to discover promising prospects, South Korean wrestling will completely collapse."
He added, "My goal now is to raise young athletes into Olympic gold medalists. Although athlete recruitment is low and the training environment is poor, seeing the skills and growth potential of the prospects gives me hope."
Kim diagnosed that South Korean wrestling's recent sluggish performance in international competitions has led to a loss of confidence among young athletes.
He explained, "The biggest problem is that as we continue to struggle in international competitions, young athletes have lost a lot of confidence. Looking purely at their skills, the gap with world-class athletes is just a hair's breadth. Right now, I am focusing on instilling confidence in the athletes."
He vowed, "The most important things are desperation and motivation. I want to run alongside the athletes and help them. I will definitely achieve my second-life goal of discovering an Olympic gold medalist."
Meanwhile, Kim's lifelong partner Ryu Han-su (38), a playing coach at Jeonju University, will bring his athletic career to an end following the men's general division Greco-Roman 72kg event at the National Sports Festival on the 21st.
Ryu, a World Wrestling Championships winner, also juggled coaching like Kim while competing only in domestic tournaments, and has decided to dedicate himself entirely to nurturing prospects due to a succession of recent injuries.
Kim said, "I was able to win the gold medal at the London Olympics because Ryu Han-su, who was my training partner, was there. He is a hyung [older brother/colleague] whom I have always relied on and respected."
He continued, "Han-su hyung and I have led South Korean wrestling together, and now we will join forces as coaches as well."
Ryu was also appointed as a future national team training coach by the Korea Wrestling Federation last July, pouring his efforts into raising his successors.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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