South Korean fencer Gu Bon-gil carries the national flag, Taegeukgi, as the country's main delegation for the Paris Olympics arrives at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris on Saturday. (Yonhap)
South Korea's main delegation for the Paris Olympics has landed in the French capital for the upcoming competition, with sights set on exceeding its modest medal projection
A team of 30 athletes and 18 officials from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport on Saturday night after more than 14 hours of travel from South Korea. Gu Bon-gil, two-time Olympic champion in the men's sabre fencing, carried the national flag, Taegeukgi, to lead the delegation.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, though there will be preliminary action in a few sports in the days leading up to it.
South Korea will be represented by 143 athletes in 21 out of 32 sports, its smallest Summer Olympic delegation since 1976. The KSOC has stated that its goal is to win five gold medals to rank around the top 15 in the medal tables, and it would be South Korea's lowest gold medal tally at a Summer Games since 1976.
KSOC President Lee Kee-heung told reporters the athletes will do their best to surpass the medal target.
"Athletes and their coaches have worked really hard, and we all feel a sense of responsibility to give our people joy with good performances," Lee added.
Athletes in badminton, shooting, archery, swimming, judo and artistic gymnastics have already been training in Paris.
The KSOC set up a training camp dedicated to South Korean athletes, called "Team Korea Paris Platform," inside the National Center for Defense Sports (CNSD) in Fontainebleau, about an hour from Paris. The camp is housing about 130 athletes and staff, and will soon welcome the fencing team.
According to the KSOC, athletes in artistic swimming, diving, taekwondo and equestrian are scheduled to arrive in Paris later this week.
South Korea's first official action will come Thursday with the men's and women's individual ranking rounds in archery and the women's handball preliminary match against Germany. (Yonhap)
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