By Min Hee-young
Korea Times Intern
Lee Yong-dae, born in the year of the Seoul Summer Olympics, has long been on the badminton radar. But it wasn't until this summer that he became a household name in South Korea, with his countrymen supporting him in his fairytale run to the gold.
Lee and his partner Lee Hyo-jung took the gold in mixed doubles badminton Sunday at Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium, upsetting the two-time world champion Indonesian team of Liliyana Natsir and Nova Widianto.
Ranked tenth in the world, the South Koreans cruised to victory in straight sets, 21-11, 21-17, winning Korea's eighth gold of the Beijing Olympics.
After the game, Lee Yong-dae winked into the camera and became one of the most searched names on Korean Web portal sites.
Lee, however, had been deemed a prodigy by the badminton world years before he set foot on the Olympic podium.
Choosing to train in badminton in the second grade to lose weight, he earned a spot on the junior national team by his freshman year at Hwasun Technical High School in South Jeolla Province.
In his senior year, he earned three gold medals at the Asia Junior Badminton Championships and three more at the World Junior Badminton Championships, setting new standards in Korean junior badminton history.
After high school, he joined Samsung Electromechanic's pro team and quickly proved himself by earning the No. 1 ranking in mixed doubles at the Yonex Korea Open last year.
With an Olympic gold medal, Lee has fulfilled his dream at a young age. He says, however, that he is always planning for the future, aspiring to improve his already impressive game.
"I will continue to work my hardest and hope to never let down my fans," said Lee told The Donga Ilbo Monday afternoon.
With his talent, work ethic and boyish charm, Lee, who has a large young female fan base in Korea, is on the fast track to becoming a badminton legend and a pop idol.