South Korean pistol shooter Lee Won-ho poses for a photo after an interview with Yonhap News Agency at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, on May 27, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
JINCHEON, South Korea, May 30 (Korea Bizwire) – Just like many other athletes set to compete in this summer’s Paris Olympics, South Korean pistol shooter Lee Won-ho would love nothing more than a gold medal.
But the 24-year-old is also mindful of how setting a lofty target could end up hurting him. As he gears up for his Olympic debut in about two months’ time, Lee is trying to stay even-keeled.
“Honestly, my goal is to win the gold medal. But then I think I may get too greedy and end up trying to do too much,” Lee told Yonhap News Agency during an open training session for the national team at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 85 kilometers south of Seoul, on Monday.
“And whenever I’ve failed to achieve my goal, I’ve not been able to control my emotions,” Lee admitted. “Whether it’s frustration or even anger, I’ve had difficulty maintaining my composure.”
In a sport where being levelheaded and calm under pressure is critical, Lee is also trying not to attach any extra significance to the Olympics — as big as the competition may be.
In this file photo from Sept. 30, 2023, Lee Won-ho of South Korea takes part in the bronze medal match in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event at the Asian Games at Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre in Hangzhou, China. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
“I don’t feel any different than usual, just because I am about to get into the Olympics,” Lee said, shrugging his shoulders. “Ahead of competitions, I usually try to have fun and not feel too nervous. Honestly, even when I step up to take shots at the Olympics, I don’t think it will feel different than any other event. And I’ve been this way my whole career.”
In Paris, Lee will take aim at a medal in the men’s 10-meter air pistol. He is currently No. 6 in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) rankings in that discipline. With a pair of fourth-place finishes at ISSF World Cup events in January and May this year, Lee could be a sneaky pick for a medal in the French capital come July.
Lee said he will try to build on his experience at the Asian Games last September in Hangzhou, China.
Lee won silver in the men’s 10m air pistol and bronze in the mixed team 10m air pistol. In the individual event, Lee scored 239.4 points to finish in second place behind Quang Huy Pham of Vietnam, who had 240.5 points.
Despite not capturing the ultimate prize, Lee said the final in Hangzhou was his finest moment.
“This was the event where I had the least regret in my whole career. It was also the most gratifying one for me,” Lee said. “Although I only finished in second place, I am trying to recreate that Asian Games moment this time. That’s what I am working on in training.”
(Yonhap)
