Kim Seo-young, Flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony

Kim Seo-young, 'Flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony at the Last Olympics' "Goodbye with a Smile"

From London 2012 to Paris 2024, four consecutive Olympic appearances.

Kim Seo-young (30, Gyeongbuk Provincial Office) will attend the opening ceremony for the first time in her fourth Olympics.

She was also selected as the flag bearer for the South Korean national team along with high jumper Woo Sang-hyeok (28, Yongin City Hall).

As she instinctively felt that the Paris Games would be her last Olympics, she is even more delighted to be selected as the flag bearer.

Kim Seo-young, whom we met on the 26th (local time) after finishing training at the La Defense Swimming Pool in Paris, France said, "In the previous three Olympics, the events I was competing in were held early in the games, so I couldn't attend the opening ceremony." 파워볼실시간

This time, the women's 200m individual medley preliminaries were held on August 2, so I really wanted to go to the opening ceremony, and I am honored to be the flag bearer for the opening ceremony.

The 2024 Paris Olympics open on this day.

Kim Seo-young said, "Since the opening ceremony is held on the Seine River, not at the stadium, I'm still not sure what role the flag bearer will play," and smiled, "I'm excitedly waiting for the opening ceremony."

She also carried the Taegeukgi together with fencing player Gu Bon-gil at the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, which was her 'last Asian Games.'

Kim Seo-young said, "I was really happy and made good memories when I stood as the flag bearer at the Hangzhou Asian Games," and "It's an honor to be standing in this position at the start of my fourth Olympics, so I think it will have a positive effect on the actual games."

Kim Seo-young has long been a leading figure in Korean women's swimming.

She has advanced to the finals of the women's 200m individual medley three times in a row at the World Championships in 2017, 2019, and 2022, and has placed sixth each time.

At the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, she won the gold medal with a new competition record of 2:08.34.

The record set at that time still remains a Korean record.

Kim Seo-young also earned a ticket to Paris and will compete in the Olympics for the fourth time in a row, following the 2012 London, 2016 Rio de Janeiro, and 2020 Tokyo Games.

Kim Seo-young is the third Korean athlete to compete in the Olympics four times, following Park Tae-hwan and Nam Yu-seon.

The four-time consecutive appearance is the second after Park Tae-hwan and the first for a Korean female athlete.

Kim Seo-young said, "I've thought about wanting to compete in the Paris Olympics for a long time.

Other than that, I didn't have any feelings about the 'last Olympics'," and confessed, "But now that I'm in Paris, I'm feeling a variety of emotions."

Of course, she plans to suppress her emotions until the women's 200m individual medley is over.

Kim Seo-young said, "I only made it to the semifinals in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020," and added, "I want to stand on the final stage in Paris.

I'll focus until the end after the opening ceremony is over."

SBS commentator Park Tae-hwan, who competed with Kim Seo-young in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics, also said, "It's really amazing that Kim Seo-young is competing in the Olympics again," and cheered her on, saying, "I hope she makes it to the finals in her last Olympics."

Kim Seo-young is competing in the Olympics, her dream stage, four times.

She suppresses her emotions to make it to the finals, but sometimes she's overwhelmed with pride and wants to "praise myself."

Kim Seo-young, who will be smiling at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, also wants to end the 'final Olympic scene' with a smile.

Kim Seo-young said, "I shed tears at the Hangzhou Asian Games, but I want to say goodbye to the Olympics with a smile after finishing the last race at this competition."

However, she also predicted 'tears' by saying, "I don't know if I can suppress my emotions at that time."