Olympics are over, but the dreams live on

Rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae shapes heart for fans after her final competition, Saturday, in Rio Games. / Yonhap

By Choi Ha-young, Park Si-soo

Everything comes and goes. And this applies equally to Korean athletes.

Some members of team Korea will let go of their honorable team membership following the Rio Games.

Reasons may vary ― age, declining strength, health conditions, etc. Some athletes may have decided on a tearful farewell after achieving their Olympic dreams, but there are many others whose missions remain unaccomplished.

But should we call the latter losers who have been chasing unrealistic dreams?

Perhaps God and luck were not on their sides, but this does not mean the second phase of their lives after retirement will also fail.

As in the famous saying, “Sweat never betrays you,” their hard work, dedication and sacrifice in uniform will guide them to a place bearing a fruit that is bigger than more valuable than a gold medal.

Veteran handball goalkeeper Oh Young-ran / Yonhap

Unrealistic dreams?

It was the veteran goalkeeper Oh Young-ran’s fifth Olympics. Oh, 44, came out of retirement for another shot at gold.

But it was not easy against much-improved European countries. Training and running with teammates more than 20 years younger, Oh lifted the team’s spirit.

“Even though at my last Olympics we were eliminated at the qualification stage, it was an honor to play on this big stage,” she said after her team lost.

The world’s best table tennis defender Joo Sae-hyuk, 37, took home some regrets from what will be his last Olympics.

Table tennis defender Joo Sae-hyuk / Yonhap

“My duty ends with a medal in Olympics’ team competition,” he told journalists before the competition, but it did not happen.

To complete 16 years as a member of team Korea, he had to compete with Behcet’s syndrome, a rare disorder that causes blood vessel inflammation throughout the body.

“Now it’s up to younger athletes. Lee Sang-su and Jeoung Young-sik will do their jobs, and there are younger players too,” Joo said after losing to Germany in the bronze medal match.

“South Korea’s table tennis will stay within semi-final level.”

As Joo said, South Korean table tennis mad a successful shift in generations at Rio. Even though the team goes back to Seoul empty-handed, Jeoung proved he will be a big chance at the Tokyo Games.

”Korean table tennis will not collapse,” Joo said.

World-ranking No.1 badminton player Lee Yong-dae, 28, announced his retirement on Thursday. “I want to give opportunity to young players,” Lee told Yonhap. He and his partner Yoo Yeon-seong unexpectedly failed to get a medal.

World-ranking No.1 badminton player Lee Yong-dae / Yonhap

He is considering playing in a foreign professional league, saying “I still love playing badminton, and I like to sweat.”

Beloved rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae had already said many times that this would be her final Olympics.

South Korea's sweetheart rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae / Yonhap

Regretfully, she just failed to become the first Asian to win a medal in the event, finishing fourth.

Games not over yet

It is not only cyclist Kristin Armstrong who is competing in the Olympics aged in her 40s. Sharpshooter Jin Jong-oh, 36, is aiming to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Games, even though he already has three consecutive medals at the Olympics.

Sharpshooter Jin Jong-oh / Yonhap

“I don’t want to stop doing what I love, Jin told reporters, adding, “Please refrain from mentioning retirement.”

After the Tokyo Games, he hopes to improve his English skills to become an International Olympic Committee member.

Korean “marine boy” Park Tae-hwan / Yonhap

Korean “marine boy” Park Tae-hwan hopes to recover his reputation in Tokyo, after a doping scandal.

The silver medalist at the London Games was eliminated from all his events, and gave up 1,500-meter freestyle.

After four years, Park will 31 ― the same age as Michael Phelps is now.