Ki Bo Bae talked extensively about her time during the London 2012 Olympics, calling the one-arrow shoot-off to beat Aida Roman to gold the most memorable moment of her career.
“That one shot could have changed my life,” she said.
“It was a difficult moment but I think it was a turning point in my life as it led to that gold medal.”
She was asked for the advice she would give to the archers selected to represent Korea at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, for which she will work as a commentator for national broadcaster KBS, a role she has filled in the past
“In Paris, we’re trying to win 10 consecutive team events. I won numbers seven and eight. The pressure and burden were incredibly heavy,” she said.
“Seeing our juniors competing in last year’s Asian Games, I was convinced that a new history would be written in Paris if we prepared well. I will support, silently, from behind.”
Ki Bo Bae’s Olympic success – three gold, one bronze – leaves her third in the all-time individual medal table (modern-era) behind only legends Kim Soo-Nyung and Park Sung-Hyun ahead of the Games in Paris.
She accrued seven medals at the World Archery Championships across her career – including that individual title in 2015 – won the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final three times (2012, 2016 and 2017), and the World University Games twice.
Her intention, she said today in Seoul, is to pursue a second career in archery education.
