[National Sports Festival] The direction of the MVP trophy... Gymnastics Yeo Yeo-jeong, swimming Kim Seo-young, Hwang Seon-woo challenge

(Jeju = Yonhap News) Reporter Kyung-yoon Kim = As the closing of the 107th National Sports Festival approaches with one day left, attention is focused on the direction of the prestigious Most Valuable Player Award (MVP).

As of the 21st, the athletes who won the most gold medals in the general division were gymnast Yeo Yeo-jeong (Jecheon City Hall), swimming Kim Young-beom (Gangwon Provincial Office), and swimming Kim Seo-young (Gyeongbuk Provincial Office), each with four gold medals.

The most advanced player is Yeo Yeo-jeong.

Yeo Yeo-jeong won gold medals in the floor, balance beam, vault, and individual all-around, a silver medal in the team all-around, and a bronze medal in the double parallel bars, for a total of six medals.

If Yeo Yeo-jeong receives the MVP, she will be the first MVP in gymnastics in 14 years since Seong Ji-hye at the 93rd competition in 2012.

On the other hand, Kim Young-beom finished the competition schedule by winning only four gold medals.

Seoyoung Kim aims for her fifth gold medal in the women's 400m medley relay on the 22nd.

If Seoyoung Kim wins the event, she will become the person with the most wins in the general division of the competition.

Seoyoung Kim is challenging for MVP for the third time in her career, following 2016 and 2019.

Swimming Hwang Seon-woo (Gangwon Provincial Office) is also considered a candidate.

In order to challenge for MVP of this tournament, Hwang Sun-woo competed in a total of 6 events, including 5 official events and 1 demonstration event.

It is believed that the possibility of winning MVP will increase if the team wins the official 5 gold medals and the 400m mixed medley relay, which is a demonstration event.

However, Hwang Sun-woo failed to achieve his goal in the 200m individual medley final held on the 20th, as he was disqualified due to an illegal kicking motion even though he was the first to touch the pad.

By the 20th, Hwang Sun-woo had won three gold medals in the official event and one gold medal in the demonstration event. He will challenge for '4 official gold medals' and 'unofficial 5 gold medals' in the 400m medley relay held on the 22nd.

If Hwang Seon-woo is named MVP in this tournament, he will tie the record with 'Marine Boy' Park Tae-hwan for the most MVP awards in the history of the National Sports Festival.

Hwang Sun-woo won 5 gold medals at the 2021 National Sports Festival and received MVP for the first time, and was also selected as MVP in 2022 (4 gold medals) and 2023 (5 gold medals).

Last year, along with four gold medals, he set a new Asian record of 1 minute 43.92 seconds in his main event, the 200m freestyle, and was named MVP for the fourth time.

Tae-Hwan Park holds the record for the most MVP awards, winning five MVP trophies in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2013, and 2017.

There are also players who use ‘records’ as a stepping stone to challenge for MVP.

Kim Kang-hyeon (Kangwon National University), who participated in the 10m air pistol individual event in the men's university shooting division, won two gold medals by setting an unofficial world record of 246.6 points, and Go Eun (Busan City Hall) of the women's general division 25m pistol event won by setting an unofficial world record of 44.0 points.

Son Hyun-ho (Gwangju City Hall), a 75kg weightlifter in the men's general division, won three gold medals, setting new Korean records in the clean and jerk (199kg) and total weight lifting (353kg).

Swimmer Han Da-kyung (Jeonbukwon Sports Team) won two gold medals and two bronze medals, setting a Korean record of 4 minutes 9.23 seconds in the women's 400m freestyle.

The MVP of the National Sports Festival will be decided through a vote by reporters on the 22nd, when the closing ceremony will be held, and will receive a prize money of 5 million won and a trophy.

The Korea Sports Council has selected MVPs since the 61st competition in 1980.