Athletes in less popular sports capture attention

Athletes in less popular sports here are in the limelight for setting new records in Korea’s Olympic history, with unexpectedly astonishing performances.

The men’s high jumper, Woo Sang-hyeok, advanced to the finals. This time is the first in 25 years that a Korean athlete has made the finals in the Olympic field event since retired high jumper Lee Jintaek, back in 1996, when he finished eighth.

Korea has for decades shown little presence in track and field sports. That is why fans here have paid relatively less attention to athletes in these disciplines over those playing in ball games or other sports that the nation has higher chances of winning medals in, such as archery or taekwondo.

However, Korea’s presence in the high jump has captured renewed interest in the Tokyo Olympics.

In June, Woo set a new personal best by clearing 2.31 meters, which qualified him for the Olympics. Korea’s national record was 2.34 meters set by Lee in 1997.

But Woo broke his own and Korea’s record and succeeded in clearing 2.35 meters during the final Sunday evening.

Diver Kim Su-ji has also become Korea’s first female diver to pass the preliminary round. She totaled 304.20 points over her five dives in the 3-meter springboard diving event, reaching a seventh-place finish out of the 27 athletes who competed in the preliminary.

But she failed to make her way to the final, finishing 15th with 283.9 points during the event’s semifinal, Saturday.

Kim won a bronze medal in the 1-meter springboard diving competition during the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, Korea, raising hopes for her to keep up her performance at the Olympics. That year was the first time that a Korean diving athlete had won a medal at an international aquatics competition.

But the 1-meter springboard is not an official Olympic sport.

She took part in the 2012 Olympics at the age of 14, the youngest among the Korean athletes who joined the sporting event in London. The Tokyo Olympics is her second Olympic competition.

The men’s rugby team has also garnered public attention by making it to the Olympics for the first time in the 100 years since the sport was introduced in Korea.

Even if Korea’s rugby players finish 12th out of the 12 teams that take part in the Olympics, the seven-member team has been vigorous and passionate in every single match.

Critics argued that the rugby team’s Olympic participation in itself was a miraculous feat, as there are only three professional teams here sponsored by companies.

As the sport is currently not very popular in Korea, few companies are willing to support rugby athletes.