Feeling Pressured to be the 'Second Jang Mi-ran'?… "I Lifted the Barbell While Repeating 'I can do it because it's me'"
Paris Women's Weightlifting Silver Park Hye-jeong
Korea's Last Medal 'Ending Fairy' "I Want to Become 'Gold Weightlifting Fairy' in LA"
To Shake Off Olympic Pressure, Thinks "It's Just One of the International Stages"
Park Hye-jeong (21, pictured) has the nickname of “ending fairy.”
This is because she won a silver medal in the women’s 81kg weightlifting class on the last day of the Paris Olympics, tying the record for the most medals won by a Korean nation in history (13 gold, 9 silver, 10 bronze).
When we met at Jang Mi-ran Gymnasium in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Park Hye-jeong smiled brightly and said, “I feel every day that people are more interested in weightlifting than before the Olympics.” 안전한 파워볼사이트
Park Hye-jeong, who was taller than her peers since kindergarten and always stood at the back, was a child who liked to run around the playground more than studying.
She first picked up a barbell in middle school at the recommendation of her teacher and experienced a ‘growth explosion.’
She lifted a total of 255 kg in her third year at Seonbu Middle School, far surpassing the record of 235 kg set by Jang Mi-ran (41), the Korean female weightlifting legend and Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in her second year of high school.
She inherited her athletic genes from her mother, a former shot put athlete, and her father, a former soccer player, as well as her agility and flexibility.
She dominated the world junior stage in high school and also won three world championships and a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, and was often called ‘the second Jang Mi-ran.’
Park Hye-jeong said, “I felt pressured because she was someone I respected,” but added, “I brainwashed myself by thinking, ‘I can do it because I’m me!
They give me that nickname because I’m me.’”
When the schedule for this Olympics was announced, expectations were once again focused on Park Hye-jeong, who was the last runner.
And Park Hye-jeong lived up to expectations by lifting 131kg in the snatch, 168kg in the clean and jerk, and a total of 299kg, winning a silver medal.
In particular, she made Korean weightlifting history by surpassing her own Korean record of 130kg in the snatch by 1kg.
Park Hye-jeong explained, “I judged that my snatch was a bit weak, so I desperately tried to do it before the Olympics,” and “I made up my mind that ‘this is also an international stage’ so as not to be overwhelmed by the weight of the Olympics, and that was effective.”
Park Hye-jeong’s silver medal is the result of every moment of sweat and tears.
In order to build up the strength to lift a 180kg barbell, she gradually increases her back squat from 180kg every day.
Park Hye-jeong’s clock is now ticking for the Los Angeles (LA) Olympics in four years.
This is because although Li Wenwen (China), who won the gold medal this time, has overwhelming skills, she is confident that she can go even higher.
“So many Koreans came to Paris and gave me great strength. I regret not being able to greet each and every one of you due to my busy schedule.
I really want to greet the people who cheered me on in LA.
Of course, as a ‘Weightlifting Fairy’ who is at stake for the gold medal!”
