Busan's high school athletes achieved their best performance in eight years at the 107th National Sports Festival, winning 18 gold medals. This total is five more than last year's event held in Busan, showcasing the strength of school sports in the region, including a gold medal in tennis for the first time in 34 years.
The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education reported that from October 16 to 22, 471 high school athletes participated in 42 events in Jeju, securing 18 gold, 13 silver, and 30 bronze medals, totaling 61 medals.
The 18 gold medals represent an increase from the 13 won at the 106th National Sports Festival, marking the highest number of golds in the past eight years.
The Busan team exceeded their initial goals early in the competition, achieving nine gold medals by the morning of October 19, surpassing their target of six. Overall, they added 37 medals to reach a final total of 61.
Busan Sports High School athletes stood out, winning nine gold, ten silver, and sixteen bronze medals, accounting for about 57% of the total medals from Busan and half of the gold medals.
The gold medal tally began with Taekwondo athlete Park Ji-soo (Busanjin Girls' High School) and water skier Oh Ji-tae (Sejeong High School) and continued across various sports.
Bodybuilding champion Park Gyu-nam (Busan Health High School), archery gold medalist Kim Soo-min (Busan Sports High School), and wrestling champion Oh Hyuk-jun (Konkuk High School) also topped their events, while swimmers Seo Min-kyun (Busan Sports High School) and Park Woo-min (Busan Sports High School) added golds in the 100m breaststroke and butterfly, respectively.
In athletics, Lee Joo-eun from Busan Sports High School won gold in the hammer throw, while Jo Jae-min took gold in the high jump. Other gold medalists included Taekwondo's Ha Ji-woong (Buhung High School), Wushu's Lee Dong-hwan (Busan Gangseo High School), and shooter Chae Ui-jin (Busan Sports High School).
In team events, the rowing double sculls team of Jeong Hye-soo and Jo Seo-yeon (Busan Sports High School) claimed gold, and in aerobics, teams from Busan Dong Girls' High School and Busan Sports High School collaborated to win gold medals.
In Sepak Takraw, the Busan Sports High School team of Jo Soo-ah, Lee Eun-mi, Kim Soo-hyun, Bae Hyo-jin, and Cha Hye-ryeong won gold in the team event. In golf, Kim Gyu-bin and Yoon Gyu-ri from Haksan Girls' High School, along with Yoon Da-gam from Gyeongnam High School's Broadcasting and Communication Department, secured gold in both individual and team events, boosting Busan's medal count.
In a historic win, the Busan girls' tennis team produced a champion for the first time in 34 years. Jeon Ye-bin from Namsan High School won the singles final, marking the first gold for Busan girls' tennis since Dongnae Girls' High School won the team event in 1992.
In boys' handball, Nakdong High School redeemed themselves after 13 years, winning a bronze medal. They faced Bucheon Technical High School in the quarterfinals and emerged victorious. The two schools had previously met in the semifinals of the 94th National Sports Festival in 2013, where Bucheon won. This time, Nakdong advanced to the semifinals and secured the bronze.
Silver medals were earned by gymnast Oh Ji-won (Busan Sports High School), shooter Bae Je-hyun (Busan Sports High School), wrestler Choi Ye-jun (Banyeo High School), and thrower Oh Hyun-ji (Busan Sports High School), among others.
Additional silver medals came from swimmer Seo Min-kyun (Busan Sports High School), weightlifter Jo Seong-chan (Busan Sports High School), tennis player Yoo Ji-hoon (Dongnae High School), and boxer Jeong Min-ah (Busanjin Girls' High School). Busan Sports High School also finished as runners-up in men's team fencing and rugby, while Kim Soo-min (Busan Sports High School) added silver in both individual and team archery.
Bronze medals were awarded across various individual and team events, including badminton mixed doubles with Park Hyuk and Jeong Yi-hyun (Busan Dong High School), wrestler Lee Chang-hyun and Yuk Jun-woo (Busan Sports High School), and Taekwondo athletes Yoo Jun-wook and Jeong Jin-myung (Buhung High School) among others.
In team events, Busan Sports High School earned bronze in gymnastics, table tennis, and modern pentathlon. The girls' tennis team from Namsan High School, sabre fencers from Korean Arts High School, and basketball players from Dongju Girls' High School also secured bronze medals. Rowers from Busan Sports High School contributed additional medals across various events.
The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education plans to build on this success as they prepare for the 56th National Youth Sports Festival to be held in Jeju next year. They aim to enhance athletes' adaptability, analyze strengths by sport, and assess training environments to ensure optimal performance in the upcoming competition.
Busan Superintendent Kim Seok-jun expressed gratitude and encouragement to the student athletes, coaches, and parents for demonstrating exceptional skills under challenging conditions. He stated, "Every drop of sweat shed by the athletes has elevated the status of Busan school sports, and we will continue to provide the best support to ensure students can pursue sports and academics in a safe and healthy environment."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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