LONDON (Yonhap News) ― Living with a roommate can be wrought with problems, especially for athletes who can be as sensitive and particular about their preparations as Olympic shooters.

On Sunday, the day of the men’s 50-meter pistol event at the London Olympics, roommates Jin Jong-oh and Choi Young-rae found themselves in a rush to get ready for their 9 a.m. start, and barely had time to acknowledge each other. Just a few hours later at the Royal Artillery Barracks, they stood next to each other on the podium, Jin wearing gold and Choi silver.

A day later, speaking at a press conference for South Korean journalists, both Jin and Choi said they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Before major events, it’s difficult to room with someone in the same discipline,” said Jin, whose 662 points beat Choi’s 661.5 for the back-to-back Olympic gold. “Maybe you’d have different personalities or habits. But Young-rae and I try to give each other space, to understand each other more and just to try make things comfortable.”

The two shooters also were roommates during an International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup event in Munich, Germany, in May. For Choi, who just competed in his first Olympics, Jin is less a friendly roommate than a figure to look up to, someone whose brain he wants to pick. Though Jin is only about three years senior, he has already participated in three Olympics and has won three gold and two silver medals.

Jin said anyone good enough to compete at an Olympics is capable of winning a gold medal and that he views each one of them as his rival. Jin noted that Choi emerged as a strong contender during South Korean national team trials and that Choi was one of the shooters that he felt would challenge him for the gold.

Choi saw it differently.

“I’ve never thought of Jong-oh as someone I compete against,” the 30-year-old said. “I am trying to learn from him, and that’s really how I’ve come this far.”

Choi quipped that Jin doesn’t often share the secrets to his success, be they technical or mental. Pressed to reveal a few of them, Jin countered, “I will tell them after I retire.”

Speaking of his future, Jin said the run-up to the London Games had been so difficult that he was almost certain this would be his last Olympics. But having added two gold medals here to his glowing resume, Jin said he’s already begun to think about the next one.

“I prepared hard for London so that I wouldn’t have any regrets,” he said. “And now that it’s over, I’d like to go to Brazil (for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro). It’s where the dreams of all athletes are realized.”

Jin and Choi engaged in a memorable duel Sunday, with the gold medal coming down to the 10th and final bullet. Jin overcame a 1.6-point deficit with a 10.2 out of a maximum 10.9, while Choi mustered an 8.1.

Jin said the first words he shared with Choi afterward were those of an apology. Jin, who once blew a lead in 50m pistol with a 6.9 at the 2004 Athens Games and settled for silver, said he well understood what Choi had to be going through inside.

Choi shed a few tears Sunday and said they were of joy. On Monday, he was all smiles.

“I am not disappointed,” he said. “To me, they are all Olympic medals. To me, this silver medal is the greatest of them all.”