"Today I Am Younger Than Tomorrow" Veteran Warriors Fighting with Unyielding Spirit Regardless of Age

Jin Jong-oh. [Photo by Yonhap News]

"Today, I am younger than I will be tomorrow. Keep challenging yourself. And don't forget to enjoy it." The words of encouragement from 'Table Tennis Fairy' Shin Yu-bin (17) and Nisiarian (58, Luxembourg), who faced each other in the women's singles, resonate deeply with many. Nisiarian, who debuted at the Olympics in Sydney 2000, was born in 1963. She is a full forty-one years older than Shin Yu-bin. Even approaching her sixtieth birthday, she has brought a fresh breeze to the table tennis world with her experienced game management and outstanding skills.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, veteran athletes like Nisiarian, who forget their age and show fighting spirit, are gaining attention. On the 25th of last month, thunderous applause poured down during the women's team gymnastics qualification on the vault. The protagonist was Oksana Chusovitina (46, Uzbekistan), a living legend in gymnastics who has competed in eight consecutive Olympics since the 1992 Barcelona Games. She declared retirement at the age of twenty-five in 2000 but returned to the vault to earn money for her son’s leukemia treatment. Although she failed to advance to the finals that day, she demonstrated unwavering strength in a sport where retirement in the mid-twenties is common. After the competition, she shed tears and said, "I am so happy that so many people have supported me for such a long time."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The sport where veterans' performances stand out the most is equestrian. Andrew Hoy (62, Australia) won silver and bronze medals in the team and individual eventing competitions on the 2nd. Isabel Werth (Germany), who won gold in the dressage team event on the 27th of last month, was born in 1969. This is her sixth Olympic appearance.

The eldest member of our national team is 'Shooting Emperor' Jin Jong-oh (42, Seoul City Hall). A veteran who has competed in five consecutive Olympics since the 2004 Athens Games, he has won four gold medals and two silver medals. He failed to win a medal in this competition. However, he said, "I don't want to think about the word retirement yet. I came through the qualifiers fairly this time as well." While admitting, "My concentration has declined compared to before. You can't hide your age," he expressed his intention to participate in the next Olympics. He is already preparing for the 2024 Paris Games.

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