S. Korean main delegation departs for Paris Olympics

South Korea's main delegation for the Paris Olympics left for the French capital Saturday as it began the quest for a solid performance at the quadrennial competition.

Forty athletes, along with 18 officials of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), flew to Paris on the day as part of the country's delegation of 143 athletes from 21 sports and 117 officials.

Athletes for a few sports, including swimming, archery, judo and artistic gymnastics, left for Paris earlier this week.

The delegation for the upcoming event was the smallest since the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

"I am excited but at the same time worried (about the event) due to weather conditions and other environments in Paris," KSOC President Lee Kee-heung told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. "But I am sure that our athletes will be able to show their best performance and give pleasure to the people this summer thanks to great public support."

The KSOC has said that the country set the target of winning five gold medals during the competition, which would put the country at around 15th place in the medal table.

"It is impossible to make a prediction. But I expect better results," Lee said.

It would be South Korea's lowest gold medal tally since 1976, when the country finished with one gold medal.

During the Tokyo Olympics, South Korea ranked 16th with six gold medals.

Fencer Gu Bon-gil will be carrying the national flag, Taegeukgi, when the delegation lands in Paris. He will try to bring South Korea its third straight Olympic gold medal in the men's team sabre event.

"I am thankful just to have an opportunity to go for a third straight title," Gu said. "I will try to capitalize on this chance."

From the 2021 Olympic gold medal team, only Gu and Oh Sang-uk are returning. With Kim Jung-hwan and Kim Jun-ho out of the mix, the veterans have welcomed Park Sang-won and Do Gyeong-dong, who will be counted on for some youthful energy despite lacking the pedigrees of the two Kims.

On a personal level, Gu, 35, said he'd love to win an individual medal for himself.

"My goal in the individual event is to win any medal, regardless of the color," said Gu, whose first team gold medal came in 2012. The men's sabre team event was not contested in 2016. "This is my final Olympics, and I am more confident now than I was at previous Olympics in all aspects."

Table tennis starlet Shin Yu-bin will compete in her second Olympics, where she hopes her experience will pay off.

In Tokyo three years ago, Shin was a raw 18-year-old. Since then, Shin has won a few medals at international competitions, most notably the women's doubles gold with partner Jeon Ji-hee.

Shin will enter the women's singles, women's team, and mixed doubles events in Paris. Shin and her male partner, Lim Jong-hoon, are currently world No. 3 in the mixed doubles and could be pushing for a podium finish.

"I'd love to win a medal in all three vents, and I can't really pick one that I want the most," she said. "Everyone on the team has been working really hard, and I hope we all have good results in the end." (Yonhap)