Korean Male Rifle Shooter Ranks 7th in Finals After 20 Years... "Too Nervous, Regretful" [Paris Olympics]

Choi Dae-han (19, Gyeongnam University) made a significant milestone by becoming the first Korean male rifle shooter in 20 years to reach the Olympic final, finishing in 7th place.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 29th, Choi Dae-han finished 7th in the men's 10m air rifle final at the 2024 Paris Olympics held at the Ch?teauroux Shooting Center in France. Having qualified 5th in the preliminary round the day before, raising hopes for a medal, he was unable to overcome a slow start in the final and was the second of the eight finalists to leave the shooting range. After the match, Choi said in the mixed zone, "It was my first Olympics, so both the pressure and excitement were huge. I thought I would just gain experience without pressure, but once I got into the final, I started to get greedy."

Originally, Choi Dae-han ranked 2nd behind Park Ha-jun (KT) in the Paris Olympic trials, and since South Korea was initially allocated only one quota spot, he almost missed out on participating. However, an additional quota spot was later granted before the Olympics, allowing him to compete on the Olympic stage. Choi said, "I was too nervous, so I feel regretful. I was late in getting into my routine during the match. That’s why I put the rifle down in the middle and held my head. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but an instinctive reaction."

It has been 20 years since a Korean male shooter reached the air rifle final, the last being Cheon Min-ho and Je Seong-tae at the 2004 Athens Games. Choi expressed confidence, saying, "Still, reaching the final after 20 years is a consolation. I believe I can do better in the next competition."

Earlier, Ban Hyo-jin, who won the gold medal in the women's air rifle final, was Choi’s partner in the mixed team event. After Ban won the gold, she shed tears and shook hands with Choi, saying, "I will pass my energy to oppa," but unfortunately, they did not win a medal. Choi expressed gratitude, saying, "Still, I’m really thankful that Hyo-jin cared so much. It gave me a lot of strength and was very moving."

Choi Dae-han, who tattooed the Olympic rings on his neck a year before the Olympic trials, truly became an Olympian by competing in the Paris Olympics. He said, "I learned how to shoot seriously here. I thought I was shooting hard before, but now looking back, I realize I wasn’t. Now, I’ve learned how to give my best at the Olympics."

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