Yoo Soo-young is playing in the badminton WH2 men’s singles final match of the ‘2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games’ held at the Binjiang Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China on October 27, 2023. Provided by Korea Sports Association for the Disabled
Hideaki Anno’s 26-episode TV series had a fatal impact on the sensibilities of ‘some’ youth around the world in the mid-to-late 1990s. In particular, the last scene made their hearts flutter. This is the part where a boy (Shinji Ikari), who has been forced to fight as a hero of humanity against the invasion of an unidentified alien force, looks inside himself and fights a second battle after completing his mission. In this fight, he comes out of his shell, making peace with his exhausted and wounded self. Amid the pouring applause, the people surrounding the boy smile and speak.
“Omedeto (おめでとう·Congratulations)!”
On October 27, 2023, in the mixed zone (joint coverage area) of the Binjiang Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China, Yoo Soo-young shouted the same thing to Daiki Kajiwara. This is a congratulation given during the mixed zone interview after being defeated (0-2) by Kajiwara in the badminton WH2 grade men’s singles final at the ‘2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games’. No, it would be more correct to say ‘threw it’ rather than ‘passed it’. While each was talking to the media in their own country, Yoo Soo-young screamed ‘Omedeto’ at her rival, and the scenes overlapped at that moment. He was born in 2002 Did you know? She couldn’t ask, but I think she knew. If you are Yoo Soo-young.
I was tempted to say that if I became an athlete, I could skip school.
Sooyoung Yoo is a member of the Korean disabled national badminton team. Like most disabled sports, badminton is divided into detailed sport levels depending on the type and degree of disability. WH1 and WH2 are wheelchair events, and SL3~4 (lower limb disability), SU5 (upper limb disability), and SH6 (short stature) are standing events. Yoo Soo-young rides a wheelchair. Wheelchair players use the narrowest courts. The shuttlecock cannot be sent to the area directly in front of the net, and only half of the remaining court is used. This is because lateral movement is difficult due to the nature of wheelchairs. The key is the ability to move back and forth and the arm strength to withstand tough rallies.
Yoo Soo-young, who was born unable to use her right leg and has been in a wheelchair since childhood, was noticed by the teacher in charge of the badminton team in her first year of middle school and was encouraged to become a player. She was selected as a basic sports athlete by the Korea Sports Council for the Disabled and entered the elite sports path early on. . He took up the racket in earnest after being tempted by the saying, ‘If you play, you can sometimes miss school,’ and it didn’t take long for him to become the new ace of Korean disabled badminton. At this year’s Hangzhou Games, his first Asian Games, he won medals (1 silver, 2 bronze) in all the events he participated in.
Although his skills are outstanding, what makes him shine is his character. Yoo Soo-young, who introduces his nickname as ‘the badminton world’, always entertained reporters who visited the Mixed Zone with his witty quotes. After winning two consecutive singles preliminaries on October 21, when asked, ‘How was the first match yesterday?’, “I gave (the opponent) 1 point for the first set and 1 point for the second set. “I gave the person 0 points because they seemed to be heartless, so I gave them 1 point.” Next, when asked about the pressure of facing a Chinese player with the support on his back, he said, “I was curious about how it would feel to lose even while receiving such support.” “My heart aches.”
Free self-expression is not limited to language. On the day of the singles finals, as soon as he entered, he crossed his left middle and index fingers, raised them in front of his face, and looked at the camera. When asked about the meaning of the performance after the game, “Cartoon It is said to be a special move called ‘area expansion’ that appears in . He enjoys listening to J-Pop, and the melody he heard while calming down before the game that day was also that same melody. It’s the animation theme song. Japanese singer-songwriter Eve <The song is called Hohoegidam>(廻廻奇譚), and it is a hit song with over 300 million views on YouTube.
Strength is a competitive spirit that “makes me cry with anger”
The spirit of walking a tightrope somewhere between spiritedness and bravado is reminiscent of many stars. It can be compared to Lee Se-dol’s speech, which was as outspoken as his childhood spirit on the checkerboard, or to the speaking skills of National Basketball Association (NBA) players who do their best in front of the microphone as much as in the main game. Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya comes to mind when it comes to directing, which uses affection for subculture as its own concept. Adesanya is a Japanese comic He is famous as an ‘otaku fighter’ who is obsessed with fighting. These are the personalities that the entertainment industry loves.
There are two virtues that this type of star needs. The skills and grades to support a provocative character, and the ego that never breaks down even if you are occasionally defeated and broken.
Yoo Soo-young lost to Kajiwara for the 12th time in her career in the singles final at the Hangzhou Games. Kajiwara is one year older than Yoo Soo-young. He is one year older than Yoo Soo-young. He is one year older than Yoo Soo-young. I have never won before. Yoo Soo-young, who appeared with a somewhat stiff face after the loss, said, “Kajiwara achieved a grand slam (winner of the Asian Games, World Championships, and Paralympics) by taking this gold medal. “I feel bitter that I lost what I was aiming for, but congratulations,” he said.
He ‘pretended to be strong’, but he was very nervous as it was his first Asian Games, and when he faced Kajiwara, he overloaded his arm muscles and was unable to maintain his performance. Something is bubbling beyond his calm pupil. Yoo Soo-young’s own strength is not confidence or performance, but the will to win. He said, “When I lost, I was so angry that I felt like crying. “I think this is a really great strength as an athlete,” he said. If this heart is his weapon, Kajiwara’s presence is a blessing to Yoo Soo-young. Just as Chen Yufei was to An Seyoung.
A ‘Shinhwa’ that grows through bumps and falls.
Yoo Soo-young said, “There will be the World Championships in February 2024 and the Paris Paralympic Games. Three years later, the Asian Games will be held again in Nagoya. “Next time, I will absolutely stop (Kajiwara).” This was his pledge right after he loudly and unexpectedly congratulated the current champion with ‘Omedetto’. he likes The same Japanese comics follow the genre norms of so-called ‘royal works’. In other words, it is a story of struggling and growing while striving for the best. The result is a bit different, theme song There are also lyrics like this.
“Boy, become a myth.”
Park Kang Soo Reporter [email protected]
*Sports Inside is a series of observations of sports players from all over the world and the East, published every four weeks.
2023-11-13 11:30:14
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