Our 159 athletes who participated in the Tokyo Paralympic Games will return to their daily lives today (8th). All of the COVID-19 tests they received before and after returning home were confirmed to be negative. During the tournament, our team achieved the ground task of 'returning in good health' amid unfavorable conditions in which more than 300 officials, including athletes and journalists from around the world, were confirmed.
It is the result of everyone's 'fighting soul'. The players thoroughly followed the quarantine rules while accepting the inconvenience as family members and neighbors were restricted from entering the country. The Korea Center for the Disabled, including the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which dispatched epidemiological investigators and specialists, did not let go of the tension for a moment. Added to this was the dedication of the organizing committee and volunteers. Like our team's slogan, 'We have won, we will win again', it was a valuable victory that protected our health.
But it was also a competition where victory itself was rare. Our team placed 41st overall in Tokyo with 2 gold medals, 10 silver medals, and 12 bronze medals. It is the lowest since the Tel Aviv Games in 1968.
It was fortunate that the magnitude of the emotion did not diminish. Ki-sung Jo, who finished 6th in the final by challenging the breaststroke after overcoming a severe slump, blew a nice shot at the cynicism around him saying, 'Do your best with freestyle'. 'Iron Lady' Lee Do-yeon ran a race without regrets on a bicycle, the last gift her father gave her, who passed away last year. 44-year-old Jeon Min-jae finished last in the 100m final, but the lingering impression of his 'bright smile' is still there.
The sayings came from their mouths rather than from medalists.
"I broke my best record in breaststroke and am here. I want people with disabilities to do what they want to do without worrying about suspicions around them." (Jo Ki-seong)
"I wanted to be an example. So I did not give up. Parents of disabled children. Please send me out boldly so that I can stand alone and take on a challenge.” (Lee Do-yeon)
Everyone had a great resonance, and it was very rewarding to be able to convey this resonance. But here is the paradox. Even though they did not win medals, they were able to cover and tell these stories because they were 'former medalists'. Cho Ki-seong, who won the first three gold medals in Korean swimming history five years ago in Rio; Do-yeon Lee, a silver medalist in hand cycle in Rio and the first Korean to compete in Nordic Skiing in Pyeongchang to compete in both winter and summer; and two consecutive silver medals in London and Rio athletics sprint Jeon Min-jae, who hung around his neck, had 'continuity of challenge'.
I'm worried about 3 years from now. As medalists in this competition, the number of players who will make a deep impression just by challenging themselves in the next competition is decreasing. The number of gold medals continued to decrease after Beijing (10), London (9), and Rio (7), and this time it was two. Except for Joo Jeong-hoon, who won a valuable bronze medal in Taekwondo, which debuted as an official sport, it is difficult to find a new star. Joo Jeong-hoon was the only taekwondo player in Korea in this tournament. At the scene, critics were criticized for neglecting the discovery and training of disabled Taekwondo players. Other sports are no different. The average age of our players in this competition is 40.5 years old. It belongs to the most axis.
I felt the increased interest in the Paralympic Games with my whole body at the scene. Like the moving forward of the opening ceremony, it is proof that we are moving forward. The purpose of the Paralympic Games is to 1) inspire the disabled people to rehabilitate and 2) help non-disabled people understand the disabled. If there were more medals, I think the effect would have been greater. Medals aren't the only thing that matters, but nothing can be as important as a medal in elite athletics. Just because the way we look at medals changes, it doesn't mean that the value of medals decreases. The process of discovering and nurturing players requires reflection and reflection. There is still a long way to go.