Son Yeon Jae Reaches the Finals in Rhythmic Gymnastics at Rio Olympics
On August 19, South Korean rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon Jae got emotional after qualifying for the finals, her second consecutive Olympic all-around finals.
According to Yonhap News, Son scored 71.956 points from ball, hoop, ribbon, and clubs at the Rio Olympics, and finished fifth among 10 qualifiers for the individual all-around final. Son will try to be the first South Korean Olympic medalist in rhythmic gymnastics.
The gymnast said, "I was quite nervous at the beginning. While training for the Olympics, I felt more pressure than before to post good results. I got emotional after it was all over."
She also added that she is more mature both as a person and an athlete now. Son finished fifth at the 2012 London Olympics.
Son Yeon Jae added, "In London, I didn't know what I was doing, but I've grown up so much now. I am grateful for that."
The athlete made mistakes in her ribbon and hoop events, but she is still hopeful saying that she is looking forward to starting with clean slates in the finals today. She said, "I hope the final will be the opportunity for me to show everything I've worked for."
Son also mentioned that she was still pleased with her performance, even though she had miscues, because she knows she gave her best.
Regarding the less-than-generous judging, the athlete said, "I tried my best not to look at the scores."
She added, "I don't think I will be able to enjoy myself in the finals. I am going to persevere and never give up. Tomorrow will be a new day, and I am going to try to hold myself together mentally."
The 22-year old Son has a lot of "firsts" in her career. She is the first Korean gymnast to win a medal at the World Championships (2014World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships); first Asian and Korean rhythmic gymnast to win gold in the All-around at the World Cup Series; first Korean rhythmic gymnast to win the Asian Championships; and first Korean rhythmic gymnast to win Gold at the Asian Games All-around at the 2014 Asian Games.