“No one knew who he was, and suddenly he comes out of nowhere to win it all. That’s the hallmark of South Korean fencing.”“Shouldn’t he change his name from Do Gyeong-dong to Do Gyeong-keum?” (In Korean, ‘dong’ means bronze, and ‘keum’ means gold.)South Korean netizen's reaction
The ‘hidden card,’ Do Gyeong-dong, finally made his mark. During the men’s team sabre final at the Paris Olympics, he scored five consecutive points in just over two minutes, playing a decisive role in South Korea’s victory.
The South Korean men’s sabre team, composed of Oh Sang-uk, Gu Bon-gil, Park Sang-won, and Do Gyeong-dong, defeated Hungary 45-41 in the team final at the Grand Palais in Paris on July 31. With Oh securing a 30-29 lead in the sixth round, coach Won Woo-young substituted Do for Gu in the seventh round. Do proved the decision right, overwhelming Hungary’s Krisztian Rabb with five points in 2 minutes and 30 seconds, widening the lead to 35-29.
Following their gold medal win at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the team achieved a historic third consecutive Olympic title, despite injuries and retirements leading to the inclusion of newcomers Park and Do.
“Winning the gold medal has always been my ultimate goal as an athlete. It feels like a dream to achieve it,” Do said after the match. “I’m happier about making history with our fencing team, securing the third consecutive team gold.” He also praised Oh, saying, “We are living in Oh Sang-uk’s era.”
Do’s teammates and coaches held him in high regard. Gu, who struggled in the quarterfinals, said, “After the quarterfinals, Do scolded me in the locker room, telling me to be confident. I was feeling down, but his words lifted me, and I promised to do better.”
Coach Won expressed his amazement at Do’s performance. “I was thrilled. When Do went out and signaled us to trust him, I knew we were okay,” he said. “Do has been a crucial part of maintaining our No. 1 world ranking in men’s sabre. I believed in his ability, but to see him win 5-0 was perfect.”
Won added, “Do has never missed a training session. He is consistent, diligent, and a great motivator. I can’t express how proud I am. He is the best.”
Do enlisted in the military last April and was scheduled to be discharged in October, but his gold medal win allows him to be discharged two months early.
