SEOUL - South Korea nearly matched its historical best in the Olympic medal tally by clinching two additional medals on the final day of the Paris Games, narrowly missing the national record set during the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Seong Seung-min secured a bronze in the women's modern pentathlon, marking a significant milestone as the first Asian medalist in the event since its Olympic inception in 2000. Seong accumulated 1,441 points to finish third, trailing Michelle Gulyas of Hungary and Elodie Clouvel of France, who scored 1,461 and 1,452 points respectively. In a dramatic finish, Seong maintained her third-place position from the outset of the laser run, despite a challenging shooting performance which ultimately solidified her spot on the podium.
Shortly thereafter, Park Hye-jeong lifted her way to a silver medal in the women's +81-kilogram weightlifting category. Park set a new national record by lifting a total of 299kg, surpassing the previous records in both the snatch and clean and jerk categories. Her performance placed her behind China's Li Wenwen, who secured the gold with a 309kg total.
These achievements brought South Korea's total to 32 medals at the Paris Olympics, consisting of 13 golds, nine silvers, and 10 bronzes, just one medal short of the national record of 33 medals achieved in 1988. The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) had initially aimed for a top-15 finish with at least five gold medals. Surpassing expectations, South Korea ranked eighth in the overall medal standings by the end of the Games.
KSOC President Lee Kee-heung expressed his gratitude towards the athletes, coaches, and the supportive South Korean public, emphasizing the determination and urgency displayed by the team in achieving these commendable results.