South Korean stars from the London Olympics will look to shine once again at the upcoming multi-sport event for university students.
The 2013 Summer Universiade will kick off in Kazan, Russia, Saturday, and will conclude on July 17.
The International University Sports Federation organizes two Universiades each year: one in summer and the other in winter.
In 2013, Trentino, Italy, will host the Winter Universiade from Dec. 11-21.
This year’s Summer Universiade will bring together 13,500 athletes from 170 countries in 27 sports. According to the Korean Olympic Committee, South Korea will send 309 athletes in 19 events.
South Korea is eyeing a top-five finish in Kazan, and star athletes from last year’s Summer Olympics will hold the key.
Artistic gymnast Yang Hak-seon, 20, is the favorite to take the men’s vault title. He won the Olympic gold in vault in London, giving South Korea its first Olympic gymnastics win. His rags-to-riches story also made Yang a cult hero in his native land.
The diminutive star is so technically accomplished that he is one of a select number of gymnasts to have a scoring element named after him by the International Gymnastics Federation, simply called the “Yang Hak-seon.”
Yang, in his first Universiade, will try to bring South Korea its first artistic gymnastics title in the Universiade since 2009.
Korean rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae (Yonhap News)
In rhythmic gymnastics, Son Yeon-jae is entering the competition in good form.
Though she failed to win a medal in London last year, Son came in fifth place, the best Olympic performance by a South Korean rhythmic gymnast. Then this year, Son collected a handful of medals at four FIG World Cup events before claiming the individual all-around gold at the Asian Championships in June. It marked the first time a South Korean rhythmic gymnast won a gold medal at any international competition.
With most of the top rhythmic gymnasts competing at the Universiade, the event will serve as a prelude to the World Championships set for Aug. 28-Sept. 1 in Kiev, Ukraine.
At the Universiades, South Korea has only won one bronze medal in the team event in rhythmic gymnastics.
In badminton, the world No. 1 men’s doubles team of Lee Yong-dae and Ko Sung-hyun will take the court for South Korea.
Lee, 24, has two Olympic medals to his credit, including the bronze in men’s doubles with Chung Jae-sung in London. Chung has since retired, and Ko, 26, became Lee’s new partner last fall. The new tandem reached the No. 1 ranking in May.
In fencing, two medalists from the 2012 Olympics, Kim Ji-yeon in women’s sabre and Shin A-lam in women’s epee, will try to rule the piste once again.
Kim was one of the most surprising gold medalists for South Korea in London. Shin was a member of the silver-medal-winning epee team, but became even more famous for the controversial loss she suffered in the individual semifinal after an apparent timekeeping mishap.
In shooting, Lee Dae-myung is a favorite in the men’s pistol events. The veteran of international events swept three pistol gold medals at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. (Yonhap News)