'Great Job! Se-young
End 2023 with a breathless run
The second half is a bit disappointing compared to the first half of the season
"I want to be consistent from start to finish"
"Se-young, you did a great job."
When Ahn Se-young (21, Samsung Life Insurance), the flagship player of Korean badminton, asked him to say a word to himself, who had been running breathlessly for 2023, he replied after much thought. Although he had a regret that he did not completely finish the end of the season in the aftermath of the injury, he encouraged himself instead of whipping and drew a better 2024.
Joy and sorrow before and after Hangzhou Asian Games
"There were a lot of good things and a lot of hard things this year," Ahn said at a meeting in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province on Tuesday. "I think I've experienced everything I can, but looking back, I want to compliment myself for enduring well." "If I go through difficult moments and overcome them well, I think I'll become stronger in the future," he added.
Ahn has made dazzling achievements this year. She won the Jeon Young Open, the world's most prestigious badminton competition, in March and the World Championship in August. She also won two gold medals at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, which she focused most on. The individual gold medal in women's singles at the Asian Games was all the more valuable because she overcame severe knee pain.
However, the aftermath was huge. After a five-week rest period due to surgery and rehabilitation of the injured knee, Ahn Se-young, the world's No. 1 player, was absent after his return. He suffered a series of hardships at the Japanese Masters (in the semifinals) and the Chinese Masters (in the round of 16 strongest teams) in November. In this month's World Tour Finals, he suffered upset losses by donating six consecutive points to Tai Chi Ying (Taiwan), who was considered one of the lesser players.
This year's score is 70 out of 100 due to injury
Ahn Se-young said, "I prepared so hard and ran this year that I had no regrets, but the injury was harder than I thought," adding, "Considering what I achieved, my physical condition should come up quickly, but it was a shame and hard to come up later than expected."
That's why I set myself a score of 70 for the 2023 season. If I had overcome the aftereffects of my injury and won the title at the King's Cup, I could have given 95 to 99 points, but I have significantly reduced the score. "My score in the beginning went to 80 to 90 points, but I have lost a lot due to my injury," Ahn said. "I want to be consistent from start to finish as I am a player seeking perfection, but I have failed to do so this year." Instead, Ahn promised that he would fill the 30 points that he lacked this time next year when the Paris Olympics will take place.
There are also positive signs that athletes' physical strength and performance improve over and over again. "My physical condition is much better than when I got hurt at the Asian Games. Seeing that I am in good physical condition while exercising, I have no choice but to get better," Ahn said. "As the Olympics are the most important thing next year, I will not rush and prepare well for the Olympics."
I'm looking forward to "Another Ahn Se-young," who has become stronger after a crisis
Ahn has also experienced growth by taking advantage of crises. Ahn suffered setbacks at both the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as he was blocked by Chen Yu-pei from China. He could have felt intimidated by consecutive defeats, but he became more spiteful and exuded his natural enemy relationship. He has six wins and three losses against Chen Yu-pei this year. In world rankings, Ahn ranks first, while Chen Yu-pei ranks second.
"When I overcome the crisis, I become myself who has grown to the next level," Ahn said. "If I overcome this crisis well, I wonder how I will grow again." One way to overcome this crisis is to watch a replay of the video clip of the game in which I displayed good performance. "When I watch a game that I did well, it gives me comfort when it's tough, and I think I can make it back up," Ahn said. "I watch many games this year at the Jeon Young Open and the World Championships. However, Ahn doesn't watch Asian Games as much as I expected. "Asian Games team and individual games, Chen Wei Fei and I didn't run 100 percent physically, so watching them again doesn't help," he said. 사설토토
Ahn, who wrapped up his schedule this year with the award ceremony for the national badminton team on Tuesday, is enjoying a sweet day off from the next day. Although it is not a long time since the national team will be convened on May 29, he will focus on taking rest by turning off his mobile phone. "I will eat delicious food and take care of my body to prepare well for next year. Detailed plans are confidential," Ahn said with a smile. When asked about his goal for the Paris Olympics, he said, "I am an athlete who should not be greedy. My goal is to do my best day by day and make another 'Ahn Se-young'."