|
Korean athletes won 13 gold, 10 silver and eight bronze medals in the Beijing Olympics that drew to a close on Sunday, coming in seventh place in overall medal rankings. Not only did Korea outperform its original goal of coming within the top 10 in medal rankings, the country won the most number of gold medals in its Olympic history. But far more valuable and moving than the number of medals are the blood, sweat, tears and personal victories of the athletes.
The Korean Olympic baseball team drove the entire country into euphoria on the eve of the closing ceremony by winning Korea¡¯s first-ever gold medal in a men¡¯s game. The Korean baseball team defeated Asian powerhouse Japan, then the United States, the founding country of the sport, and even Cuba, the strongest nation in amateur baseball.
Then there is Choi Min-ho, who grabbed the gold after emerging from a slump of being labeled a bronze medal specialist. And Park Tae-hwan, who won the gold and silver medals in swimming to open a new era in the sport for Korea. And Jang Mi-ran, who set five world records in weightlifting. And Hwang Kyung-seon, who defeated her opponent despite a stretched ligament and broken instep. And the women¡¯s handball team, who won the bronze medal in a sport that becomes popular only during the Olympics despite an average age of 32. They are all heroes who emerged from the pain of defeat in Athens four years ago. And there is Lee Bae-young, who refused to quit even as he kept falling down due to cramp in his calf, and 38-year-old Lee Bong-ju, who ran his last Olympic marathon to the end.
In Beijing, Korean sports showed it can reach new heights. It also emerged from a previously narrow lineup to a wider range of sports. But Beijing was also a reminder that Korea has a long way to go in the basic sporting events of any Olympics -- track and field. We need to plan long-term strategies for these basic sports, just as Japan has done, winning its first bronze in the 400 m relay.
China successfully hosted the Olympics and showed off its ever-developing national might, while the fruits of 30 years of opening to the outside world were recognized by the global community. The stains of human rights abuses in Tibet, air pollution and terror threats could not shake the success of the Beijing Olympics. But China will have to work on a more open and tolerant social atmosphere if it is to truly use the Olympics for a ¡°Chinese renaissance.¡±
During the 16 days of the Beijing Olympics, Koreans cheered and cried together and became one in the joy of sports. But no party lasts forever, and the Olympic flame has been extinguished for now. Here¡¯s hoping that we will see an even better Korean sports team in London four years from now.
|
