Out of her collection of medals from the Olympics and Asian Games throughout her decadelong national team career, 33-year-old epee fencer Choi In-jeong had missed just one color.
She had never won a gold medal in individual and team events at multisports competitions since her maiden Olympic participation in 2012.
She had two silver Olympic medals in the team event from London in 2012 and Tokyo in 2021, while she bagged team silver and individual bronze medals at both 2014 and 2018 Asian Games.
At the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games in China, which kicked off Saturday, she won the elusive gold medal in the all-Korean duel against Song Se-ra in the women's individual epee fencing, ending her title drought.
Before coming to Hangzhou, media spotlight had been on Song, the reigning world champion and world No. 5 making her Asian Games debut.
But Choi was not bothered with the fact that she was not the ace on the team.
"I'm so happy that Korean fencers took gold and silver in the individual event. On the one hand, I think we're lucky," Choi said in a post-match interview. "Before coming here, I didn't have my own goal. I'm satisfied with the fact that I've done what I have to do."
At the same time, her first-ever gold medal in Asian Games came with her crucial decision to end her national team career.
"This is my last Asian Games," she said. "I want to compete with the national team only until this year and then retire from it."
Despite the Asiad gold before her retirement, she still felt sad about missing the Olympics, where she has never reached a podium in the individual event. She finished 17th in Tokyo, her last Olympics.
"When thinking of the Olympics, I might keep feeling regret," she said. "But at the Paris Olympics next year, young athletes will do better."
Source: Yonhap News Agency