Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) took to Instagram to show off the silver medal won by Joo Jae-hoon, 31, who was runner-up in the archery compound mixed event at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
Joo, along with So Chae-won (26-Hyundai Mobis), narrowly lost to India’s Jyoti Surekha Bennam-Oyas Praveen Deotale 158-159 in the final of the compound archery event at the Fuyang Throat Sports Center Archery Range in Hangzhou, China, on Thursday.
It was a disappointing result, but the story of Jae-hoon Joo, an office worker, became a hot topic. He is a police officer in Cheongwon, South Korea. He is the only member of the 16-member archery team from Donghoyin. “The moment I held the bow, I felt that archery was my path,” he said. He enjoyed archery as a hobby in college and trained for two to three hours every day after work, learning mental management tips on YouTube, and became a member of the national team after four matches and five seasons.
He qualified for the individual, team, and mixed events with a score of 712 in the compound men’s qualifying round on March 1. Only the first and second place finishers in the recurve and compound qualification rounds qualify for the individual competition. The top men’s and women’s finishers will team up for the mixed event.
After falling in the semifinals of the men’s individual event on the third day, the team won a silver medal in the mixed event on the fourth day.
With a job and a family, it was difficult for him to fully commit to the national team like other athletes. He applied for a leave of absence from his company to join the Jincheon Athletes’ Village, and his company made accommodations for his dream. “It must have been difficult for the company because it was unprecedented, but they accepted my request for a leave of absence,” he said. “Thanks to them, I was able to maintain my national team status and compete in international competitions and win medals. I am grateful to the company officials.”
She wasn’t even sure if she would be able to compete in the team competition, let alone win, but she miraculously realized her dream. “A silver medal is better than a promotion,” he said, “and I will keep the silver medal as a family heirloom.” “There were so many people who supported me to win this medal. I would like to thank the community of Uljin, Gyeongbuk, my family, and my company for this honor.”
In response to the news of Joo’s medal, KEPCO posted on Instagram later in the day, “KEPCO’s Joo Jae-hoon and Hyundai Mobis’ So Chae-won won a valuable silver 바카라사이트 medal in the compound archery event at the Hangzhou Asian Games. We would like to congratulate and support KEPCO’s Jaehoon Joo and wish him good results in the remaining matches,” he wrote, along with a photo of the silver medal.
As a working athlete, it’s not easy to compete internationally again, so Joo described this as his first and last Asian Games. However, he hasn’t let go of his Olympic dreams.
“I heard that archery compound might be added to the 2028 LA Olympics,” he said. I might get fired from my job, but if that happens, I will try to represent my country again.”