"Olympic Medal, A Longtime Dream" Men's Golfers An Byeonghun and Kim Juhyung [Paris Olympics]

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"Winning a medal at the Olympics has been my long-time dream"

Ahn Byeong-hun (left) and Kim Joo-hyung, who will compete in the men's golf event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, held a press conference on the 29th (local time) at Le Golf National in Paris, France. The men's golf event at the Paris Olympics will take place over four days starting August 1.
[Photo by Korea Golf Association]

As the golf competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics begins with the men's event on August 1, Byeonghun An (33, CJ), preparing for his second Olympic appearance, expressed a strong determination to challenge for a medal.

On the 29th (Korean time), An stated in an interview with the International Golf Federation (IGF), "Compared to other golfers, the Olympics hold a greater meaning for me."

He is one of the so-called "medal spoon" athletes who inherited Olympic DNA. An’s parents are Jae-hyung An, who won a bronze medal in men's doubles at the 1998 Seoul Olympics, and Zhaozumin (China), who won a silver medal in women's doubles and a bronze in singles.

An said, "Since both my parents have Olympic medals, I watched the Olympics a lot from a young age. I have been following the Olympics since 2000, and although golf was not included at that time, after golf became an official event, I strongly wanted to win a medal."

Previously, An made his Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Olympics but finished 11th.

This year’s Paris Olympics will hold the men’s competition over four days starting August 1. The women’s event will also be held over four rounds and 72 holes starting August 7.

The venue is Le Golf National near Paris, France. Olympic golf was removed from the official program after 1904 but was reinstated starting with the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, where South Korea’s Inbee Park won the gold medal in the women’s event.

In the men’s category, An Byeonghun and Jeonghoon Wang competed in 2016, and Sungjae Im and Siwoo Kim participated in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but none reached the medal positions. The best men’s result to date is An Byeonghun’s tie for 11th place in 2016.

Kim Joo-hyung, who has attracted great attention on the PGA Tour, is being interviewed by Asia Economy at a location in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 31st. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

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This year, the men’s golf competitors are Byeonghun An and Juhyung Kim (22, Nike Golf). Their world rankings are 20th for Kim and 32nd for An.

An praised Kim, saying, "Although this is his first Olympics, he has considerable experience on the tour. He may still look young, but he is a player from whom I can learn a lot."

He added, "There may be pressure, but if he shows his own game, the possibility of winning a medal is always open."

Kim Juhyung said, "Since no Korean male golfer has ever won a medal at the Olympics, I feel a greater sense of responsibility. Korea has many strong Olympic sports, and we want to add one more medal to that list."

He continued, "I am happy to compete alongside my close friend Byeonghun An. Representing our country at the Olympics, I will approach the competition with a strong sense of responsibility."

Kim has experience competing at this course, having finished tied for 6th at the DP World Tour Kazuo Open held here last September. An is maintaining good form this season, ranking 13th in The Open and 12th in the PGA Tour FedEx Cup standings.

The men’s golf event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, featuring Byeonghun An and Juhyung Kim, will start on August 1 and conclude on August 4.

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