[Exclusive] 'Baechu Boy' Snowboarder Lee Sang-ho: 'My Dream is to be an IOC Member'

Challenging Gold in Beijing After Silver at Pyeongchang 4 Years Ago
Grew Up Sledding in Jeongseon Cabbage Fields
Ranked World No.1 in Last Season's World Cup
Aiming for First Consecutive Medal in Snow Sports
Also Pursuing Graduate Studies at Korea National Sport University

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Around the summer of 2006, Lee Sang-ho (27, High1), the star snowboarder of the national team training overseas, visited the dorm room of then head coach Lee Sang-heon during a break. Lee Sang-ho asked the coach, "Coach, what do 'conservative' and 'progressive' mean?"

Recently, in an interview with this publication, the former coach recalled the time, saying, "I felt that Sang-ho was very different from the other players." He added, "It was when Sang-ho had just entered university. Most players usually spend their breaks playing games or contacting acquaintances, but Sang-ho watched TV news or checked portal news and search terms regardless of the field. He seemed to have an exceptional capacity."

Lee Sang-ho has long dreamed of becoming a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). After retiring as an athlete, his goal is to serve as an IOC member and represent Korea's voice on the international stage. This cannot be achieved by athletic skill alone. The reason he keeps up with the news and pursues graduate studies at Korea National Sport University while balancing his career as a national athlete is because of this.

At the Beijing Winter Olympics opening on the 4th, Lee Sang-ho will challenge to become the first athlete in snow sports to win medals in two consecutive Games. He won a silver medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics four years ago and is a gold medal hopeful this time. Ahead of the Olympics, he secured one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal in the 2021-2022 World Cup series, rising to world number one in the rankings. His skills and condition are at their peak. Winning a gold medal would also provide new momentum for his IOC membership challenge.

Lee Sang-ho arrived in Zhangjiakou, China, on the 3rd and is currently undergoing local adaptation training. The home advantage of China is a mountain that must be overcome to win the gold medal. It is known that China does not open the competition course to foreign athletes but allows Chinese athletes to preview the course in advance. Competition with rivals such as Stefan Baumeister (Germany), who contended for the number one ranking in last season's World Cup, is also an unavoidable challenge for Lee Sang-ho.

Lee Sang-ho will begin his medal hunt on the 8th at the men's parallel giant slalom qualifying round held at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, China. Whether he wins the gold medal will also be decided that day. The parallel giant slalom is a race where snowboarders navigate flags placed on the left and right in sequence. The preliminary round ranks athletes by arrival time, and the final round determines rankings through one-on-one matches. Mastery of snowboarding skills and an unshakable 'steel mentality' regardless of the opponent decide the outcome.

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