South Korean sailing legend Hajimin (Haeundae-gu Office) left for Marseille, France, to compete in the Paris Olympics.
Hajimin left the country through Incheon International Airport on the 13th. His destination is Marseille, a port city that will host the sailing competition at the Paris Olympics.
Before boarding the plane, Hajimin said through the Korean Sailing Association, “I will be competing in the Olympics for the fifth time in a row, and as I always say, I want to make up for what I was disappointed about and lacked in the last competition, so I want to show my skills this time and stand on a higher platform.”
“I’ve been competing in the Olympics for almost 20 years, and it’s important to do well, but it’s also important to keep going and inspire the next generation,” he said, adding, “All I can do is not give up and do my best.”
Hajimin, who sails single-handed dinghy sailboats (sailing with the power of the wind without an engine or cabin), is arguably the best sailor in Asia beyond Korea.
After winning gold in Guangzhou in 2010 and Incheon in 2014, he won three consecutive Asian Games gold medals in Jakarta-Palembang in 2018 and silver in Hangzhou last year.
Born in 1989, Hajimin is an “Olympic veteran,” having competed in four consecutive Olympic Games from Beijing 2008 to Tokyo 2020 in 2021.
His best result was seventh place at the Tokyo Games. Hajimin is the first Korean sailor to finish in the top 10 at an Olympic Games.
In Paris, Hajimin became the fifth Korean sailor to compete in five consecutive Olympic Games, joining the likes of Lee Eun-chul, Jin Jong-oh (shooting), Yoon Kyung-shin (men’s handball) and Oh Sung-ok (women’s handball – five consecutive appearances).
The sailing events at the Paris Olympics will be held in Marseille, an iconic port city in southern France on the Mediterranean Sea.
Among the sailing events that begin on Aug. 28, the men’s Laser class, in which Hajimin is competing, will be decided through a combination of 11 races over six days from Aug. 1 to 6. 안전놀이터