South Korea’s weightlifting team will begin its ‘fight against gravity’ on Aug. 8 as it aims to win at least two Olympic medals, shaking off the disappointment of not winning a medal three years ago.

The weightlifting competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games starts on Sunday (August 7), but Korean athletes will take to the platform on August 8.

There are 10 gold medals up for grabs in weightlifting at the Games.

South Korea will be represented by Park Hye-jung (21-Goyang City Hall) and Kim Soo-hyun (29-Busan Metropolitan Sports Association) in the women’s 81 kg and above, Park Joo-hyo (27-Goyang City Hall) in the men’s 73 kg, Lee Yoo-joo (30-Jinan-gun) in the 89 kg, and Jang Yeon-hak (27-Asan City Hall) in the 102 kg.

Korean weightlifting has won a total of 16 medals (3 gold, 6 silver, 7 bronze) at the Olympics.

Four of those medals (two silver, two bronze) were inherited by South Korea after medalists from other countries were caught “post-doping”.

At Tokyo 2020 in 2021, South Korean weightlifting failed to win a medal.

In Paris, however, they have a clear medal contender.

Park Hye-jung is a “strong silver medal favorite” in the women’s 81 kilograms and above.

The reigning champion is Li Wenyuan (CHN), but there is no one else in this weight class who can threaten her.

Park’s chances of winning a medal were further boosted when her ‘rival’ and close senior, Son Young-hee (KOR), missed out on a spot in Paris due to the one-per-country-per-weight class rule, despite finishing tied for third in the Olympic rankings.

The women’s heavyweight division is very clear.

Lee Won-won leads runner-up Park Hye-jung by a combined 30 kilograms, while Park leads Emily Campbell (GBR) and Duangakthorn Chai-dee (THA) by about 10 kilograms.

Park solidified her position as the “undisputed runner-up” in the heavyweight category with back-to-back titles at the World Championships in September 2023, when Lee Won-won was injured during a match, and the Asian Games in October, when Lee missed the Games due to injury.

“I’m going to my first Olympic Games,” Park said. I’m nervous and excited,” she said, adding, “I’m a realistic person. I know I can’t aim for gold right away. My goal for Paris is to win a medal,” she said.

Park will begin her bid for an Olympic medal at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 11 at Arena 6 in South Paris, France, before the closing ceremony of the Paris Games.

Four other athletes are categorized as “medal contenders.

Four of them have special reasons to medal in Paris.

Kim Soo-hyun lifted 106 kilograms in Tokyo, but failed to lift 138 kilograms in the first phase and 140 kilograms in the second and third phases.

He lifted the barbell overhead in the second phase, but two of the three judges pressed the red button for failure. It was pointed out that his arms were shaking.

Kim, who would have won a bronze medal if the judges had ruled her successful, was moved to tears by the disqualification.

“In Paris, I’m going to jump up so that anyone can judge it as ‘successful’ and I’m going to win a medal,” Kim said.

At 11 p.m. on the 10th, Kim is ready for a break.

Park Joo-hyo, who was diagnosed with a Level 5 disability following spinal surgery two years ago, has made a remarkable recovery to qualify for his first Olympic Games.

“I don’t want to miss this hard-earned opportunity,” he said of his desire to win an Olympic medal.

Park will be the first South Korean weightlifter to compete (2:30 a.m. on Aug. 8).

Yoo Yoo-joo will compete in her third Olympics at 10 p.m. on the 9th.

“A man is a man three or four times,” said Yoo, who finished 14th in Rio in 2016 and eighth in Tokyo in 2021 due to injuries, and vowed to leave no regrets in Paris.

At 6:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Jang Yeon-hak will go for a medal.

Jang missed out on gold at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games by a total of one kilogram due to an injury sustained during competition.

“The 2018 Asian Games are a lifelong memory,” he said proudly, “and my goal is to win a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.” 파워볼게임