Published on 26 Oct 2024

Yang was "flying in sky" after Olympic victory

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Republic of Korea's Yang Ji-in reflected on her 2024 season after the ISSF World Cup Final, where she was named ISSF Athlete of the Year.

Athlete of the Year Yang Ji-in has spoke of her gratitude for winning the accolade, following the ISSF World Cup Final in New Delhi, India.

The Korean competed in the women's 25m pistol final and although she was not able to replicate her gold-medal performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, she was happy to be named the best in 2024.

"I never thought about it, but I was very honoured to be ISSF Athlete of the Year," said Yang.

"I feel very happy and also joy with the award.

"My favourite moment for this year was obviously the Olympic gold medal.

"I felt like I was flying in the sky, so I really want to feel that again in the future.

"I want to be a player who can make up for the shortcomings this year."

Those shortcomings were few and far between. She claimed the Olympic title after a great shoot-off battle with home favourite Camille Jedrzejewski, as well as the Asian Championships gold. 

In her five ISSF World Cup appearances this season, she won in Baku and finished second in the other event held in Azerbaijan. She also made the final in four of her five competitions.

Both her battles with Jedrzejewski and her compatriot Kim Ye-ji defined her season, beating both on the road to major titles.

"The majority of the crowd was cheering Camille [in Chateauroux], not me; so I did not feel much pressure," said Yang.

"I believe that you could perform your best when you have a rival.

"Because I was competing with Yeji, I think my performance was great."