Volleyball Queen Kim Yeon-koung and Swimming Hope Hwang Sun-woo... MZ Generation Makes Waves in Tokyo

Opening Ceremony Flag Bearer 'Last Dance' & 'Global Showcase'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The MZ generation has established itself as the mainstream of our society. The same holds true at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Most of our athletes belong to the MZ generation. They are spontaneous and passionate. Each one confidently declares, "We will make a big impact." Medals are not only aimed at being the best in the world but also signify the continuation of the star lineage and smooth generational transition. That is why Tokyo is such an important stage. The Millennials (M) share their experience and lead the juniors, while the Z generation boldly takes on challenges. The drama starring them is just beginning.

'The Last Dance' Kim Yeon-koung

Volleyball queen Kim Yeon-koung called the Tokyo Olympics her "Last Dance." She was deeply impressed after watching 'The Last Dance,' a TV documentary about basketball legend Michael Jordan's final season (1997?1998) with the NBA's Chicago Bulls. Jordan won the championship in the finals. Kim Yeon-koung also wants such a finale. She is a representative Millennial athlete in our team and aims to be a role model for the Z generation. That is why she was chosen as the flag bearer at the opening ceremony. Im Geun-hyeok, CEO of I Am Consulting and a close associate, said, "She probably took on the role with a heavy sense of responsibility," adding, "She has always wanted to promote women's volleyball widely and has been grateful for the public's interest and expectations."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Before this tournament, Kim Yeon-koung confided to acquaintances, "I have prepared really hard, but if the results at the Olympics are poor, I think I will cry." She has been running non-stop. From March, she played in the women's professional volleyball league for Heungkuk Life for two months, then immediately joined the national team to participate in the FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League held in Italy. It is said that Kim Yeon-koung only rested for two days during the tournament.

The Tokyo Olympics is the final stage of a continuous grueling schedule. The national team is placed in Group A, facing Brazil, Kenya, the Dominican Republic, Japan, and Serbia. They must finish in the top four to advance to the quarterfinals. The goal is a medal for the first time in 45 years since the 1976 Montreal Games. There is a mountain to overcome: host country Japan. Kim Yeon-koung played for Japan's professional volleyball team JT Marvelous from 2009 to 2011 and has experienced many Korea-Japan matches in international competitions. She said, "I understand the importance well," adding, "Since there is a lot of public interest, we will trust each other and do our best."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

'Global Showcase' Hwang Sun-woo

The Achilles' heel of Korean sports lies in fundamental disciplines like athletics and swimming. Thanks to the achievements of Millennial Park Tae-hwan, the barren land has been somewhat overcome. The emergence of the Z generation, who will continue the legacy and create a new atmosphere, is urgently needed. Our team places its hopes on Hwang Sun-woo (18, Seoul Physical Education High School) ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. He was even chosen as a flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

Looking back over the past year, it is easy to nod in agreement. In November last year, at the national swimming trials held in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk, he won the men's 100m freestyle with a new Korean record of 48.25 seconds. He broke the previous Korean record of 48.42 seconds set by Park Tae-hwan at the 2014 New South Wales (NSW) State Open Championship in Australia by 0.17 seconds. The next day, in the 200m freestyle, he touched the pad at 1:45.92, beating the world junior record of 1:46.13 held by Eliza Winnington (Australia) by 0.21 seconds.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The record-breaking streak continues this year. In May, at the national swimming trials for the Tokyo Olympics qualification, Hwang Sun-woo again set a new Korean record in the men's 100m freestyle with 48.04 seconds. In the 200m freestyle, he finished the race in 1:44.96, improving his own world junior record by 0.96 seconds. This time is only 0.16 seconds behind Park Tae-hwan's Korean record of 1:44.80. By the standards of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, this corresponds to a silver medal behind Sun Yang (China, 1:44.65). He said, "I have come to feel that an Olympic medal is not just a dream."

Hwang Sun-woo's physical stats are 186 cm in height, 72 kg in weight, and a wingspan (arm span) of 193 cm. These are similar to Park Tae-hwan's (183 cm height, 74 kg weight, 196 cm wingspan), but their swimming styles are completely different. Park Tae-hwan learned a balanced swimming style when he started swimming, so much so that it is called the textbook freestyle technique. Hwang Sun-woo uses the "loping" technique mainly employed by American swimmers like Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky. This technique applies more power to one stroke to vary rotation speed. It increases the time spent underwater, minimizing water resistance, and allows for longer stroke intervals. Therefore, it is mainly used by middle- and long-distance swimmers.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

For sprinters, there is the "eternal sprinter" Pieter van den Hoogenband (Netherlands). He compensated for the disadvantage of left-right imbalance by increasing stroke speed and won gold in the 100m freestyle at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Hwang Sun-woo, who applies more power when extending his right arm, has recently greatly improved his strength. With strong mental fortitude as well, he can open a new era for Korean sports. "My best record is in the 200m freestyle, but I feel more attached to the 100m freestyle. It is said that Asian swimmers with less favorable physical conditions find it difficult to achieve fast times in short distances. This makes me more determined to perform better in the 100m."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.