Source: REUTERS/Ann Wang
[Saba Sports News] After the 2024 Paris Olympics, Gallup Korea conducted a survey on the most touching moments of this Olympic Games. The survey targeted 1,052 South Koreans aged 19 to 69, with 22% of respondents stating they were most moved by An Se-young’s gold medal, calling her the “Queen of Gold Medals.” An Se-young is ranked number one in women’s singles badminton and won the gold medal by defeating China’s He Bingjiao 2-0 in the Olympic badminton women’s singles final, becoming the first South Korean to win a gold medal in badminton in 28 years. However, after winning the gold medal, An Se-young did not thank the Korean Badminton Association for their support but instead directly criticized them for not taking good care of her during her serious injury and pressuring her to compete while ignoring her injuries afterward. The Korean Badminton Association responded by stating that she disrespected her elders and sponsors and did not comply with management rules. They even claimed she insisted on flying first class and demanded a designated life coach and on-site physician, which they described as “princess syndrome.” The conflict between both parties reached an irreconcilable point, ultimately leading An Se-young to withdraw from the badminton open tournament held in Korea due to her injuries. A gold medal queen who should have soared on the badminton court had to exit sadly for various reasons.