Shin Yubin and Im Jong-hun win bronze in mixed doubles
Im Jong-hun to enlist in August, receives military duty exemption
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Shin Yubin and Im Jong-hun won a bronze medal in the mixed doubles final. Im Jong-hun, who competed in the Olympics just three weeks before his enlistment, received military duty exemption.
On the 30th local time, at the 2024 Paris Olympics table tennis mixed doubles bronze medal decision match held at the South Paris Arena 4 in Paris, France, South Korea’s Im Jong-hun and Shin Yubin defeated Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem from Hong Kong with a score of 4-0, securing the bronze medal.
This achievement was especially meaningful as Shin Yubin and Im Jong-hun brought home a medal for Korean table tennis for the first time since the 2012 London Olympics (men’s team silver medal).
For Im Jong-hun personally, this victory held significant meaning. He was scheduled to enlist in the military sports unit on August 19. However, with his recent bronze medal win, he became eligible for military duty exemption, ultimately delaying his enlistment, which was originally only 20 days away.
Im Jong-hun expressed his gratitude in a post-match interview, stating, “I am very grateful. Although I said it was just one game, there was still a sense of weight and pressure. Nevertheless, I am grateful that I could continue playing doubles with Yubin.”
He further added, “To be honest, before this match, I couldn’t stop thinking about the military. I acknowledged it and controlled my mindset to challenge with Yubin,” and “I focused on the challenging meaning that an Olympic medal holds, and I am really grateful that Yubin endured the tough battles well,” he said with a smile.