“No matter where I go, he is introduced as ‘Lee Dae-hoon, 3-time Asian Games champion.’”
Lee Dae-hoon (31) is a legend who became the first in Taekwondo history to win three consecutive Asian Games.
Leaving behind his brilliant achievements, he stepped down from the ‘path of active duty’ in 2021. And he returned as a ‘coach’ two years after announcing his retirement. This is because of the mission of ‘training juniors.’ He accompanied the World Championships last May and performed ‘national team coaching duties’, and is currently serving as Taekwondo coach in Daejeon Metropolitan City.
‘SPOTV News’ had an interview with Lee Dae-hoon, who is currently working as a Taekwondo coach at Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall, in Daejeon on the 7th.
When asked about his current situation, Lee Dae-hoon said, “I have been preparing for various things, such as getting a degree or becoming a member of the athlete committee, and as of now, everything has been completed. I am working as a coach for the Taekwondo team at Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall and also working as a soccer entertainment broadcaster. “There is,” he said.
He said, “When I was a player, I had the mindset that ‘I just need to maintain good condition and show off my skills’ on the field because I worked hard so far. But now, as a coach, it’s not just about me being good, it’s my job to guide the players so they can do well. “I think that’s the part that’s most different. We help you get in the best condition, but only you know if everything is going well, so that part is a bit difficult.”
‘2022 Hangzhou AG’ will open in China on the 23rd. The highlight of Lee Dae-hoon’s time as a player is definitely the moment of ‘AG’s third consecutive loss.’
He said, “I think I’ve built a career so great that wherever I go, I’m introduced as ‘Lee Dae-hoon, 3rd consecutive winner of AG’. It’s a meaningful competition for me because I became the first national team member and won a gold medal while participating in AG. Now, I’m in a position to support my juniors. “I think there are a lot of people who want juniors to get better grades at AG without me,” he said.
▲ Lee Dae-hoon interviewed by SPOTV News.
Lee Dae-hoon won gold medals in the ‘2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, the 2014 Incheon Asian Games men’s -63kg class, and the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games -68kg class.’
So, what was the most memorable moment during AG’s three-game winning streak? Daehoon Lee recalled ‘three memories’.
He said, “First of all, I participated in the AG final when I was in my third year of high school. The year before that, I lost to a Thai player at the Asian Junior Championships, so I was more nervous about the AG final, but the score difference was 10-9, but I overcame it and won.” He recalled.
He said, “In the finals of the second AG competition I participated in, the difference in scores was large, so I had some free time, so I used a cool kick and did a ‘back kick’. That still remains in my memory the most to this day. The last AG competition was a challenge in which I went up one weight class. “We won by coming from behind, but the opponent was so disappointed that he cried. What I remember most is winning by coming back from behind. I think those three scenes are what I remember the most,” he said with a smile.토토사이트
▲ Lee Dae-hoon walks the path of a leader.
When asked by a reporter whether he had any regrets about ‘AG’s 4th consecutive loss’, Daehoon Lee smiled and said, “Oh, that… If I do it now, I will advance to a certain level in the tournament, but it won’t be enough to win.”
He also did not spare praise for Jin Ho-jun (21), who is called ‘post-Lee Dae-hoon’.
Dae-hoon Lee said, “He is a player whose greatest strength is the ‘boldness’ of being able to follow his own style without being intimidated. If he just continues to display his boldness in a game where he is ahead by one or two points, he can win by a large margin, but that kind of thing is a little bit of his own. “It’s a pity that he seems to be sparing his ability, and I think he can be a player who can do even better than me if he shows that kind of boldness not only to certain players, but to all players equally,” he praised.
Lastly, Daehoon Lee delivered a ‘heartfelt message’ to the AG national team juniors.
“I hope that you can control your condition well during the remaining period until the opening of the competition, achieve all the goals and results you want, and return home with congratulations. I am cheering on all the male and female athletes hard, so I hope they achieve good results. Many people will help Korea Taekwondo achieve good results. “I will do a lot of publicity to people and help them support me a lot. This is Korea Taekwondo Fighting.”