Kim Hyun-woo and Ryu Hansu, Korean wrestling’s ‘two-headed carriage’
35 years old Kim is Ryu’s “older brother” who entered school first.
‘London Olympics winner’ Kim seeks 2nd AG title
‘Olympic misfortune’ Ryu seeks to become first Korean to win three consecutive AG titles

Kim Hyun-woo broke two ribs in May while competing in the final of the national wrestling trials. The pain made it difficult for him to breathe, but he held on for more than two minutes until the end of the match, eventually winning the gold medal. She pushed through the pain to fulfill her promise to Ryu Hansu that they would win gold together at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

“I was almost bedridden for two months, but my brother Hansoo called me every day, telling me, ‘Come back quickly,’ so I had no choice but to recover quickly,” Kim laughed when we met at the training center in Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon Province, on Tuesday. “Even training that seems like death is less painful when Hyun-woo is with me,” said Ryu Hansu, who was sitting next to him.

Kim Hyun-woo, a 77-kilogram national team member with a Greco-Roman body type, and Ryu Hansu, a 67-kilogram national team member, are the same age, born in 1988. However, Ryu Hansu, who was born in February and went to school a year earlier, calls Kim Hyun-woo (born in November) his “older brother. “Hyun-woo is more like a friend and a teacher to me,” Ryu says. “We watched and learned from each other, pushed and pulled each other, and that’s how I got to where I am today.”

Hyun-woo won a gold medal in the 66-kilogram Greco-Roman category at the 2012 London Olympics. He was the last Korean wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal. His training partner at the time was Ryu Hansu. Both athletes work for Samsung Life Insurance.

When Kim Hyun-woo moved up to 74 kilograms after the London Games, they won gold together at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest and the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. Kim, who had already won gold in both weight classes at the Asian Championships, completed the third “Grand Slam” in Korean wrestling history (winning the Olympics, World Championships, Asian Games, and Asian Championships) with the gold at the Incheon Games.

“There were people around me who said, ‘What more can you achieve,’ but I don’t think I should dwell on my past glory. I still can’t get used to losing. I am preparing with the attitude of a challenger, thinking that every minute is gold,” he said.

Ryu Hansu was the only one smiling at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang when the competition’s weight classes were changed. Ryu won gold in the 67-kilogram category, while Kim Hyun-woo had to settle for bronze in the 77-kilogram category. If Ryu wins in Hangzhou next month, he will become the first Korean wrestler to win three consecutive Asian Games titles.

“I feel challenged because no one has done it yet,” Ryu said. I’m working hard to awaken the fierceness in me,” Ryu said, adding, “Recently, there have been some defensive moves where athletes don’t use stand-up techniques and try to win with hold and pater, but I’m determined to break my opponent with my skills.”

With the Asian Games postponed by a year due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in China, the two athletes have given up their newlywed life to train. After promising to be “newlyweds after winning gold together in Hangzhou,” Kim set a wedding date in October of last year and Ryu in November. 안전놀이터 The nuptials took place as scheduled, but the gold medal quest is still ongoing.

Ryu, whose photo of him proposing to his wife at Hallasan Mountain in Jeju Island went viral, said, “Since we got married, I’ve been out of the house all the time for competitions and training, so I haven’t spent much time with my wife in less than a month. I want to hang the Asian Games gold medal around my wife’s neck and say, ‘I won it because of you.'” Kim Hyun-woo also said, “Being married stabilizes my mind and gives my wife great strength. I will definitely win a gold medal as a family man.”

Bringing home gold in Hangzhou doesn’t mean they can enjoy their honeymoon period. They have no plans to retire until the Paris Olympics next year. Kim won bronze at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics but was unable to qualify for Tokyo 2021 due to COVID-19. Ryu Hansu has yet to win an Olympic medal, having failed to make it past the quarterfinals in Rio and the round of 16 in Tokyo.

For now, of course, the Asian Games are more important. “As always, I’m not thinking about the future. 스포츠토토 I’m determined to make a great showing with my brother Hansoo.” The two will be competing at the Asian Games for the last time.