Kim Ki-taik's true feelings hidden behind Yoo Nam-kyu's Olympic gold medal: "I was upset thinking about my mother"

Yoo Nam-kyu and Kim Ki-taik, who faced each other in the intense arena of an Olympic final, reunited after time had passed to share the stories they could not finish back then. In the conversation between the two captured in the TV CHOSUN 'Star Documentary My Way' video, the agony of rivals and the deep affection for family, which were hidden behind the glory of victory, were revealed.

"I thought my mother was in the hospital" Kim Ki-taik recalls the weight of the final

Yoo Nam-kyu, the Olympic gold medalist at the time, and Kim Ki-taik, the silver medalist, reminisced about their past match and their feelings during that process. Kim Ki-taik named Yoo Nam-kyu as a world-class athlete and his role model, stating that he devoted himself to training with the goal that he could only become a world champion if he defeated him. He shared that he endured a painful process, recording all strategies in a notebook to prepare for the match against Yoo Nam-kyu.

In particular, Kim Ki-taik poured out his complex emotions during the final. This was because he later found out that despite his mother not being in good health at the time, she had pushed herself to visit the stadium so that he wouldn't worry. Kim Ki-taik expressed his feelings at the time, saying, "I thought my mother would be in the hospital, but I later found out she was at the stadium," and "I was upset thinking that if I had known my mother had come despite her suffering, I would have felt more responsibility to show her a winning performance."

"I felt sorry for defeating my senior" The weight of a hero that came after victory

Although he defeated Yoo Nam-kyu and wore the gold medal, Kim Ki-taik confessed that there were moments when his heart was heavy due to the gaze of those around him after the victory. He mentioned the psychological burden he felt at the time, saying that after winning the gold medal, whenever he went to a restaurant, he would hear comments such as "Why did you defeat your senior?" Yoo Nam-kyu also encouraged him regarding this, saying, "You really did well," and emphasizing that the match at the time was a fair result.

The two also shared the intensity of their training process at the time. Kim Ki-taik shared an anecdote of his efforts to catch up to Yoo Nam-kyu in terms of physical strength. He said that watching Yoo Nam-kyu finish first in running training made him feel that desperation and gave him the stimulus to work even harder.

The path as a leader, "So that Korean table tennis shines"

The two, who are currently walking the path of leaders, expressed a sense of responsibility for the future of Korean table tennis. Yoo Nam-kyu stated that as a leader, he prioritizes trust with athletes, and that raising his students excellently is as important as being good himself. He expressed his will to contribute to the development of Korean table tennis, saying, "Only if the sport of table tennis does well can Yoo Nam-kyu, or anyone, shine."

Kim Ki-taik also concluded the conversation by expressing his determination to do his best as a leader and his intention to help athletes so they do not give up and can lead Korean table tennis.