JINCHEON, South Korea, As the current record holder in the women’s 25-meter pistol event, South Korean shooter Kim Ye-ji is convinced the gold medal at this year’s Paris Olympics will be hers to lose.
It is one thing to have that kind of inner belief. Kim, 31, isn’t shy about letting people know how confident she is.
“My confidence is not unfounded,” Kim told reporters with a smile during her open training session Monday, as part of the national team media day at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, some 85 kilometers south of Seoul. “I am not putting any pressure on myself whatsoever.”
At a press conference earlier in the day, national team head coach Jang Kap-seok said the objective is to win one gold, two silvers and one bronze in Paris.
Asked if she thought that one gold medal will be hers, Kim said, without missing a beat, “Absolutely. No doubt.”
Kim shot a world-record score of 42 points to win the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Baku earlier this month. Kim edged ou
t teammate Yang Ji-in, who set the previous world record of 41 points in January at the Asian championships in Jakarta.
Kim will also compete in the 10m air pistol. She said the 25m pistol was never her main event but once she put her mind to it a couple of years ago, she developed into a world record-breaking Olympic medal threat.
“I take pride in the fact that I work harder than everyone else,” Kim said. “Even since I was young, I’ve always been able to accomplish things as long as I worked at it. When Ji-in set the world record in Jakarta, I figured I should try to break her record. And I did just that. So I have reasons to feel confident.”
While her main focus is on the 25m pistol, Kim said she also believes she can win gold in the 10m air pistol.
So who will be Kim’s biggest rival in Paris?
“It will be myself,” Kim said with a smile. “As long as I can do my thing, I will be okay.”
Kim admitted she does go through occasional slumps, when she battles bouts of anxiety. Her own prescription is to work
even harder.
“Whenever I feel a little off, I just put more hours into training,” Kim said. “And then I look at my scores and say to myself, ‘Hey, you’re good. You don’t have to worry.'”
And it’s that sense of accomplishment that keeps Kim motivated.
“This sport is fun. And I feel the happiest whenever I can overcome myself,” Kim said. “I think I even feel exhilaration when that happens. Just because we’re athletes, it doesn’t mean we want to get up for training or competition every day. There are times when we don’t want to do anything. But when I push myself through those moments and accomplish something, that’s when I feel so much joy.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency