Female South Korean Weightlifter Clinches Bronze Medal in Rio
Yoon Jin-Hee, a South Korean weightlifter gave the country a bronze medal in the ongoing Rio Olympics. She placed third in the women's 53-kg category.
Yoon, 30, and a mother of two children, clinched the bronze medal after lifting 88-kg in the snatch and 111-kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 199-kg. She stood on the podium together with silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines and Hsu Shu-Ching of Chinese Taipei who lifted a total of 212-kg to snatch the gold medal.
Her husband, Won Jeong Sik, is also a weightlifter and will compete in the men's 69-kg event on Wednesday. After Yoon's victory, Won stated, "I was out of my mind for five seconds when it was confirmed that she had won the medal."
According to the Korea Times, Yoon ended her career after placing second and taking the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and chose to remain as a housewife after marrying her husband.
In a recent interview, Yoon said, "I lost my desire after getting the silver at the Beijing Olympics. I wondered what more could I achieve. I failed to overcome that feeling and retired."
With her absence at the 2012 London Olympics, the South Korean women's team was not able to bring home any medals.
Yoon added that the injury of her husband at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games prompted her to return to training. Won said, "When I started rehabilitation, I suggested that we train together as I had always valued her talent. This created a miracle for both of us."
However, Yoon's journey to clinching a medal in the Rio Olympics was not easy. She had a shoulder injury last year and considered giving up on her return to the Olympics. She conveyed her gratitude to the national team trainer Kim Ah Young. She said, "During those hard times, my trainer encouraged me to create a miracle at the Olympics."
Meanwhile, Yoon's husband is set to compete on Wednesday and he will also try to beat his personal record. He said, "My record is not near the medal winning level but who knows, a miracle could happen, like with my wife. I will do my best on Wednesday."
