Park Hye Jeong shares emotional tribute to late mother after Paris Olympics success

AKP STAFF

On August 21 KST episode of tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block' (hereafter referred to as You Quiz), the special episode titled "National Representative 2 - I'm the Best in the World!" aired. The guests included shooting athletes Ban Hyo Jin, Oh Ye Jin, and Yang Ji In; South Korea’s men's archery team members Kim Woo Jin, Lee Woo Seok, and Kim Je Deok; weightlifter Park Hye Jeong; and members of the women's archery team Jeon Hoon Young, Im Si Hyun, and Nam Soo Hyun, who shared various stories.

Park Hye Jeong, who set a new Korean record by setting 299 points at the Paris Olympics (131 kg/289 lbs for the snatch and 168 kg/370 lbs for the clean and jerk), was asked, "Did you ever feel like giving up when things got tough?" She cautiously began to speak about her late mother, saying, "This year was especially difficult for me."

She confessed, "Preparing for the Olympics was challenging. I often wondered, 'Can I really do well in the Olympics?' But I persevered and made it this far."

Park Hye Jeong's mother had been battling cancer for eight years and passed away this April, just two days before the Olympic qualifying event.

Park Hye Jeong shared, "I couldn't be there for her funeral as I had to leave for the competition. Since it was a qualifying event for the Olympics, I believe my mother would have wanted me to go, and my father also encouraged me to participate, so I went to the competition."

She added tearfully, "Just hearing the word 'mom' brings tears to my eyes. I'm so happy and grateful to have achieved good results, thanks to my mom. I hope she'll keep watching over me in the remaining competitions. Thank you," as she expressed her emotions in a letter.

Park Hye Jeong also revealed, "On the day of the competition, the weights felt unusually light. I often thought, 'I lifted them together with my mom,'" touching the hearts of the viewers.