Olympic shooting champions try not to add pressure on themselves ahead of Asian Games

Heavy is the crown of an Olympic champion, and Korea’s three reigning shooting gold medalists said on Monday that they are trying to stay upbeat as they deal with the pressure that comes with their status.

Ban Hyo-jin, Oh Ye-jin and Yang Ji-in earned gold medals in their respective events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the three will try to win their first Asian Games gold medals in Japan this fall. All of them also find themselves in similar spots in their career arcs: They were not expected to reach the podium at the Olympics, let alone win gold, and now anything short of gold at the Asian Games will be considered disappointing.

The three proved their Olympic triumphs were not flukes by claiming gold medals at the 2025 world championships. Reaching the top of the Asian Games podium will further cement their legacies.

Ban, who became Korea’s youngest Summer Olympic gold medalist ever two years ago, is still just 18, younger than any of her teammates for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. During the national team media day at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 85 kilometers (52.8 miles) south of Seoul, the 10-meter air rifle champion admitted to having difficulty overcoming the burden of her unlikely Olympic title and said that she has decided not to get caught up with adding to her medal tally.

“I think that it’s important not to forget where I come from and focus on the things that I need to work on to get better,” she said. “I only want to do the best that I can and not worry about having to win a medal. I’ll try to stay humble.”

Ban added that she tries to remember what worked well at the Olympics and later at the world championships.

“I try to view my Olympics as something so precious that not a lot of people get to enjoy,” she said. “I try to focus on how I trained for that competition both physically and mentally.”

Oh was 19 when she was crowned the Olympic champion in the 10-meter air pistol. She said that it was a lot to handle for a teenager. Her secret to staying grounded is to keep a positive, optimistic outlook.

“I tend to get stressed out about small things, but I try to think and talk about only what’s fun and positive,” she said. “Sometimes I like to drive around in my new car and sing along to my favorite tunes. I also enjoy going to beaches and just meditating.”

Yang, 23, is the only one of the trio with prior Asian Games experience, having won bronze medals in the women’s 25-meter pistol individual and team events in 2023.

“Back then, I was afraid that I was too young to compete at a high level,” she said. “This year, I think that I can lean on my teammates more and will be able to win the battle against myself.”

As for her Olympic gold in the 25-meter individual event, Yang said that she now regards it as “just another medal from a normal competition” to avoid putting any more pressure on herself than necessary.

Still, this does not mean Yang will dismiss her career-defining moment from two years ago.

“Since I’ve had success on such a big stage, I should be able to build on it and do better at this year’s Asian Games than the last one,” she said. “I’m proud of being one of the best shooters in the world. I’ll try to bear the weight of my crown the best that I can.”

Yonhap