At age 34, South Korean sabre fencer Gu Bon-gil realizes he won't have many more opportunities left to compete internationally. And he will have even fewer chances to make history.
One such opportunity will come at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, this month. Gu will try to become the most decorated Asian Games athlete in South Korean history. Winning both the individual and team titles here will give Gu seven gold medals for his career, more than any other South Korean.
South Korean fencer Gu Bon-gil walks through the arrivals hall at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, China, on Sept. 22, 2023, after arriving for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. (Yonhap)
South Korean fencer Gu Bon-gil walks through the arrivals hall at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, China, on Sept. 22, 2023, after arriving for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. (Yonhap)
He is also going for his fourth consecutive gold in the individual event. Gu is already the only fencer in Asian Games history to win three straight gold medals in an individual discipline, and making it four in a row will make his record virtually untouchable.
After arriving in Hangzhou on Friday, Gu said he will try to cherish his shot at getting into the record books.
"To be at the top for as long as I have ... it's much easier said than done," Gu told reporters at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport. "But I am honored just to have this opportunity to challenge myself out there. I want to do the best I can, but I am not putting too much pressure on myself."
Gu made his Asian Games debut in another Chinese city, Guangzhou, 13 years ago. He said he didn't think he'd be nervous for this year's event, but that changed almost immediately after he set foot in Hangzhou.
South Korean fencer Gu Bon-gil speaks with reporters at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, China, on Sept. 22, 2023, after arriving for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. (Yonhap)
South Korean fencer Gu Bon-gil speaks with reporters at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, China, on Sept. 22, 2023, after arriving for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. (Yonhap)
"Now that I've landed, I am excited and nervous at the same time," Gu said with a smile. "I really have to bear down and focus."
Gu will serve as a flag bearer for South Korea at the opening ceremony Saturday. He previously served in the same role at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.
"For me to carry our national flag, it's an honor for my entire family," Gu said. "I am really appreciative. I want to respond with a good performance."
The men's individual sabre is scheduled for Monday, with the team event coming up on Thursday.
Source: Yonhap News Agency