Olympic shooting champions manage pressure ahead of Asian Games

By Yoo Jee-ho

JINCHEON, South Korea, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- Heavy is the crown of an Olympic champion, and South Korea's three reigning shooting gold medalists said Monday they are trying to stay upbeat as they deal with the pressure that comes with their status.

Ban Hyo-jin, Oh Ye-jin and Yang Ji-in soared to gold medals in their respective events at the 2024 Paris Olympics and all three will try to win their first Asian Games gold medals this fall in Japan. And all three find themselves in similar spots in their career arcs -- they were not expected to reach the podium at the Olympics, let alone win gold, and now anything short of a gold at the Asian Games will be considered disappointing.

All three proved their Olympic triumphs were not flukes by claiming gold medals at the 2025 world championships, and reaching the top of the Asian Games podium will further cement their legacies.

Ban, who became South Korea's youngest Summer Olympic gold medalist ever two years ago, is still just 18 years old, younger than any of her teammates for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. During the national team media day at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 85 kilometers south of Seoul, the 10-meter air rifle champion admitted to having difficulty overcoming the burden of her unlikely Olympic title and said she has decided not to get caught up with adding to her medal tally.

"I think it is important not to forget where I come from and focus on things I need to work on to get better," Ban said. "I only want to do the best I can and not worry about having to win a medal. I will try to stay humble."

Ban said she tries to remember what worked so well at the Olympics and later at the world championships.

"I try to view my Olympics as something so precious that not a lot of people get to enjoy," she said. "I try to focus on how I trained for that competition, both physically and mentally."

Oh was 19 when she was crowned the Olympic champion in the 10-meter air pistol. She said it was a lot to handle for a teenager and her secret to staying grounded is to keep a positive, optimistic outlook.

"I tend to get stressed out about small things but I try to think and talk about only fun, positive things," she said. "Sometimes I like to drive around in my new car and sing along to my favorite tunes. I also enjoy getting out to the beaches and just meditate."

Yang, 23, is the only one of the trio with prior Asian Games experience, having won bronze medals in both the women's 25m pistol individual and team events in 2023.

"Back then, I was afraid I might be too young to compete at a high level," Yang said. "This year, I think I can lean on my teammates more and will be able to win the battle against myself."

As for her Olympic gold in the 25m individual event, Yang said she now regards it as "just another medal from a normal competition," so as not to put any more pressure on herself than necessary.

Still, this does not mean Yang will simply dismiss her career-defining moment from two years ago.

"Since I have had success on such a big stage, I should be able to build on it and do better at this year's Asian Games than the last one," Yang said. "I am proud of being one of the best shooters in the world. I will try to bear the weight of my crown the best I can."