Published : Aug. 16, 2016 - 10:13
South Korean epee fencer Park Sang-young came out of blue to win the men's individual gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but the 20-year-old said the victory is just a part of his journey, not a destination.
Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald
"I think the gold medal represents the fruit of my hard work, but not necessarily a life goal," Park said Monday at a press conference for the South Korean media at the Korea House. "I think it's a part of the process that will take me to a bigger goal."
In the final, Park rallied from a 14-10 deficit against Geza Imre of Hungary with five straight points, stunning the two-time Olympic medalist.
Though he could be forgiven for letting the memorable victory get to his head a bit, Park said he will allow that to happen.
"My goal is to stay consistent and compete in three or four Olympics like those who've come before me," he said. "This Olympic gold medal will lose its luster after a month, and will be forgotten a year later. Then in four years, it will be a burden on me. But I'll try to become a player who can handle the weight." (Yonhap)