The 2012 London Olympics has officially ended on Aug. 12. Yet, one particular athlete still remains a popular topic among the Koreans. Son Yeon-jae, an 18 year-old gymnast from Korea, wowed the audience with her performance during the Olympics. Participating at the Olympics for the first time, Son Yeon-jae proudly made it to the finals. At the finals for rhythmic gymnastics on Aug. 11, Son scored a total of 111.475 points, combined from hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon routines. Being only 0.225 points behind the bronze medalist, Liubov Charkashyna, Son Yeon-jae placed 5th in rhythmic gymnastics. Sports DongA, Korean sports daily, praised, “Son Yeon-jae rewrote the Korean history of gymnastics.”
During her clubs routine, Son made a slight mistake when she dropped the clubs. Moreover, during her clubs routine, Son Yeon-jae’s ballet shoe came off. However, Son did not even flinch at this mistake and carried on with her routine. Son said, “I was embarrassed as it has never happened to me before. However, I could not stop and put it on, so I focused on my routine and carried on.”
Son was surprised and amazed at herself after placing fifth at her dream stage. She stated, “I can’t believe I’ve actually come in fifth at an Olympics. This has given me confidence that I can compete.” This young athlete, with her charming smile and graceful movement, captivated the eyes of the audience. Nari Hwang, one of Son’s Korean fans, said, “I am so proud of Son Yeon-jae for performing so well under so much pressure. She was amazing and beautiful.” With her elegant performance, Son Yeon-jae gained more attention worldwide and made everyone anticipate for the next Olympics.
