Paris - South Korea has launched into the Paris Olympics with a triumphant start, securing a gold, silver, and bronze medal on the first competition day following the opening ceremony.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Oh Sang-uk claimed the gold in the men's individual sabre fencing, defeating Tunisia's Fares Ferjani with a score of 15-11 at the Grand Palais. This victory marks the continuation of South Korea's tradition of capturing a gold medal on the first day of competition, a streak now extended to five consecutive Summer Games.
Earlier in the day, the duo of Park Ha-jun and Keum Ji-hyeon clinched a silver medal in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event. The pair finished second to China’s Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. Sandwiched between these victories was Kim Woo-min's impressive performance in the men's 400m freestyle swimming event, where he earned a bronze medal with a time of 3:42.50, just behind Germany's Lukas Maertens and Australia's Elijah Winnington.
Kim's achievement makes him only the second South Korean swimmer to win an Olympic medal, following in the footsteps of Park Tae-hwan. Meanwhile, in table tennis, South Koreans Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin advanced to the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles, defeating Germany's Dang Qiu and Nina Mittelham in a swift match lasting just 34 minutes.
Despite successes in fencing, shooting, swimming, and table tennis, South Korea faced setbacks in judo and boxing. In judo, Kim Won-jin's hopes for an Olympic medal were dashed after defeats in both the quarterfinals and the repechage round. Similarly, in boxing, Oh Yeon-ji exited the competition early with a loss in her first match, leaving Im Ae-ji as the remaining South Korean boxer in contention.