An Se-young kneels on the court and roars in triumph after defeating China's He Bingjiao in the women's badminton singles final at the Paris Olympics, held at the Arena Porte de La Chapelle in Paris, France, on Aug 5. /Ko Woon-ho

South Korean badminton player An Se-young (22, Samsung Life Insurance) made history by winning the gold medal in women’s singles badminton at the Paris Olympics. This is the first time a South Korean player has won gold in this event in 28 years. On Aug 5. (local time), at Arena Porte de La Chapelle in Paris, An Se-young, who is ranked No. 1 in the world, defeated China’s He Bingjiao, ranked 9th, with a score of 2-0 (21-13, 21-16). This marks South Korea’s first gold medal in this event since Bang Soo-hyun’s victory at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the first badminton gold in 16 years, following Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung’s mixed doubles win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With this win, South Korea secured its 11th gold medal at the Paris Olympics, bringing their total to 11 gold, 8 silver, and 7 bronze medals.

Additionally, Cho Yeong-jae (25, Armed Forces Athletic Corps) won the silver medal in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol shooting event.

An Se-young celebrates with her arms wide open after winning the gold medal by defeating China's He Bingjiao 2-0 in the women's badminton singles final at the Paris Olympics, held at the Arena Porte de La Chapelle in Paris, France, on Aug 5. /Ko Woon-ho
An Se-young played in the final match with tape on her right knee. /NEWSIS