Asian Games Taekwondo Silver Medal Hong Junyi: Regretful that he lost the gold in the last 3 seconds

Hong Junyi. (Reuters)

[Special Correspondent Wu Mengru/Reporting from Nagoya] There were only three seconds left before the gold medal. Hong Junyi gave up all his strength and failed to hold on to the advantage in the third game. He eventually lost to Uzbek player Jesunov and won a silver medal. He lamented that his efforts in the past 10 years were not as good as these three seconds. He felt regretful and regretful about the result, but he would continue to work hard in the future.

Hong Junyi, who is 193 centimeters tall, has excellent coordination. Taiwan team head coach Su Taiyuan has long regarded him as a regular in future international competitions. Last year, he showed his strength by winning the silver medal at the Universiade in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. This time, he also passed all the way in the first Asian Games, defeating South Korean player Jiang Zaiquan, who had never won in the past, and Kazakh player Batilhan.

Entering the gold medal match, Hong Junyi overcame the disadvantage of losing the first game and sealed the victory with a key spin kick in the second game. He also took the lead in the third game. Unfortunately, he was beaten to the middle when the score was tied at 3:3, and the possible gold medal flew away. Cool, the last 3 seconds are the hard work of the past 10 years. The efforts of the past 10 years are not as good as these 3 seconds. If you grasp these 3 seconds well, you will be the biggest winner of this game. But if you don't handle it well, it is a pity and a pity. I will continue to work hard in the future."

Although this is Taiwan's first men's silver medal in the Asian Games since Huang Yuren in 2014, Hong Junyi said that he has never thought about the team's historical results. "I have never thought about comparing. I just want to challenge myself, see where I can go, and let myself witness that beautiful moment."

Su Taiyuan also regretted the final result, but still praised the players' fighting spirit. "Actually, Junyi was infected with norovirus before the start, which caused his body to be not in the best condition. He tried his best today. I kept shouting and encouraging him on the sidelines, but in the end it was really a physical problem and he couldn't hold on."