Korean sailing ‘living legend’ Ha Ji-min. AG 3 consecutive wins since 2010 Asia’s strongest. Olympic line 28→24→13→7th place rise “I was alone in the vastness of space and thought. I was drawn to it”
Ha Ji-min will set sail on the 1st of next month in pursuit of Korea’s first Olympic medal in sailing history. Ha Ji-min finished 7th at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, becoming the first Korean sailor to finish in the top 10 at the Olympics.
‘Philosopher on the Sea’ Ha Ji-min (35) will set sail for the Paris Olympics podium on the 1st of next month in the waters off Marseille, France. The reality is that Korean yachts are still far from ‘world class’. However, Ha Ji-min says, “The waters off Marseille have a lot of wind changes, so it’s actually an opportunity for me.”
● Ha Ji-min, a living legend of Korean yachts
, has competed in the Olympics five times in a row, starting with the 2008 Beijing Games when he was 19 years old. No Korean athlete has competed in more Olympics than Ha Ji-min. Only four people, Lee Eun-cheol, Jin Jong-oh (both shooting), Yoon Gyeong-shin, and Oh Seong-ok (both handball), have achieved the same record of competing in the Olympics five times in a row.
Ha Ji-min is known as the strongest ‘dinghy’ sailboat not only in Korea but also in Asia. Ha Ji-min has won gold medals in the Asian Games three times in a row since the 2010 Guangzhou Games. Even in the Olympics, she has gradually improved her ranking from 28th place in her debut competition in Beijing in 2008 to 24th place, 13th place, and then 7th place. Ha Ji-min is the only Korean sailor who has ever placed in the top 10 at the Olympics.
In an interview with the official media outlet of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Olympics.com, Ha Ji-min said, “It’s natural to want to stand on the podium at the Paris Olympics,” but added, “Whether I win an Olympic medal or not, I don’t think my life will change much. If I win a medal, fame and money may follow, but those things will eventually disappear.” He continued,
“Yachting is a sport that I do for my whole life. Rather than thinking about the rankings in front of me, I want to overcome my weaknesses first. In the past, when I had to ride the waves while feeling the wind from behind, my accuracy was lacking, but I improved on my shortcomings through major competitions and got here.” He continued, “I think I prepared well enough for this Olympics. Now, my goal is to believe in myself and do my best.”
The person who gives Ha Ji-min the most strength is his family. Ha Ji-min said, “Yachting requires a lot of local adaptation training, so I spend a lot of time away from home. That’s why balance (between family and exercise) is important.” However, Ha Ji-min left his wife, Lee Soo-jin, and daughter, Lia, behind in Korea for this competition as well, and headed to France alone. Because his wife is pregnant.
● A lonely chess player on the sea Ha Ji-min, who is from Busan, happened to participate in an experiential class held by the city of Busan during the summer vacation of his 4th year at Yangjeong Elementary School and was introduced to yachting. Before that, he had only done swimming and had never done the common taekwondo or soccer. Ha Ji-min said, “I like to spend time alone, and when I go to the sea, I get to spend time alone.” He added, “If I go to a competition, I have no choice but to compete, but on the sea, I can mostly spend time leisurely contemplating life or philosophical aspects. I think that’s why I continued yachting.” The IOC called him a “philosopher on the sea.” A yacht race is a series of processes in which a boat is moved to a safer and more competitive location after five minutes by considering the direction and strength of the wind on the vast ocean. That’s why yachting is called “chess on the sea.” Ha Ji-min’s main event, Laser, is even more so. The Laser-class players compete alone in a 7.06㎡ sailboat. That is why, among the 10 Olympic sailing events, they have to make the most judgments and decisions on their own. Just as Koreans are less interested in chess than in baduk or janggi, sailing does not receive much attention. It was he who made the news of Ha Ji-min’s gold medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games widely known. While other gold medalists were busy with media interviews, Ha Ji-min became a hot topic when he posted on an internet community, “I am proud that I made the national anthem play in China.” Ha Ji-min said, “I wanted to put my heart out there, half jokingly and half sincerely.” Ha Ji-min continued, “The fact that I have competed in the Olympics five times in a row proves that there are areas that the current system cannot handle. It is difficult for players to step up and set the stage, but I think showing them how hard they are working and doing their best in a game is also a kind of social contribution.” He then emphasized, “I want to inspire the next generation by doing my best at this Olympics.” 안전놀이터