After winning the gold medal in the women’s singles badminton event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Ahn Se-young is interviewed by reporters after returning to Korea via Incheon Airport on the afternoon of the 7th. Ahn Se-young is embroiled in controversy after pointing out the absurdity of the Korea Badminton Association after winning the gold medal.
When Ahn Se-young (22, Samsung Life Insurance) complained about the Korea Badminton Association’s injury management and training methods after winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the association refuted them point by point, explaining, “It seems that we have different standards.”
On the 7th, the Korea Badminton Association opened up about the controversy, saying in a press release that they neglected Ahn Se-young’s knee injury and forced her to compete in an international competition.
According to the association, Ahn Se-young received treatment and five weeks of rehabilitation after suffering a knee injury in the finals of the Hangzhou Asian Games in October of last year, and returned to international competitions of her own volition.
The association emphasized that “competition was not forced but the athlete’s choice” and “out of the 12 athletes who participated in the Paris Olympics, only Ahn Se-young was assigned a dedicated trainer starting in February of this year to help with injury management and recovery.”
Regarding her ankle injury while training after arriving in Paris, the association stated, “We spent over 11 million won on hiring an oriental doctor nominated by Ahn Se-young and supported her,” and “we were concerned that Ahn Se-young’s injury would be exposed during this process, so we proceeded quickly while maintaining thorough security.” However,
Ahn Se-young’s side argued that after a short break following her knee injury, she forced herself to participate in the Tour Finals held in December (eliminating in the semifinals), but was not given any rest, saying, “When she withdrew from the quarterfinals of the India Open in January due to a thigh injury, she asked ‘can’t she return to Korea early to receive treatment? ’, but she was ignored.”
Regarding the dispatch of the oriental doctor, he claimed, “I told the national team coaching staff and medical staff as soon as I injured my ankle, but they told me to just stay still and be quiet because my power could be exposed.” He continued, “When my younger sibling saw this, he really thought it was wrong, so he told his parents and the team. Only after that was the oriental doctor dispatched.” In addition, Ahn Se-young’s side is said to have complained during an interview last January, saying, “I want to wear different shoes instead of the shoes from the existing sponsor,” “I want to ride business class to maintain my condition,” and “I can’t stand the seniority-junior culture anymore .” In response, the association’s position is that they cannot give special treatment even to athletes who are ranked number one in the world and have won gold medals. The association refused, saying, “It could be seen as ‘special treatment,’ so we cannot give them everything,” and added, “We supported them as much as we could. I don’t think we were negligent in our support. It seems that we have different standards.” The association said that they prioritized and used the given budget efficiently, but instead asked, “If (Ahn Se-young) is based on the standards of Son Heung-min and Kim Yuna, then don’t you think it’s insufficient?” In response to the association’s explanation, netizens said, “It’s funny to talk about Son Heung-min and Kim Yuna, but what’s the difference? Are you trying to say that there’s a level for the world’s number one?”, “Isn’t Ahn Se-young on the same level as Kim Yuna? How can you do that to an athlete who won a gold medal for the first time in 28 years?”, “You guys are so ugly,” “What kind of unreasonable and difficult request is that?”, “Isn’t it preferential treatment for the association people to do business without doing anything?”, “Isn’t it natural to grant that? If it can be seen as preferential treatment, other athletes should do the same,” “They’re saying Ahn Se-young has celebrity disease,” “Those are things that an athlete could easily ask for,” “I thought Ahn Se-young was asking for something great. “Is this what you say to the national team that endured threats and endured for 7 years to win the gold medal?” they said, expressing their anger. 토토사이트