'Last Olympic Singles Medal for Korean Table Tennis' — The Legend of the 'Chopped-Backhand' Returns! Kim Kyung-ah and Park Mi-young Doubles Team to Challenge in Finals [Gangneung World Masters]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korean Yeo Ja-tak-gu (CEO) defensive doubles team, who once roamed the world stage together, has reunited.

Kim Kyung-ah (49), coach of the Korean Air women's table tennis team, and Park Mi-young (45) advanced to the main tournament bracket by winning all three of their preliminary matches in the women's 45–49 age group doubles at the 'XIOM 2026 Gangneung World Masters Table Tennis Championships' held on the 8th at Obal Gymnasium in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Displaying stable defense and experienced match management that belied their long hiatus, they defeated teams from Germany, Hong Kong, and a joint Australia-Finland squad, all with a 3-0 scoreline.

Coach Kim Kyung-ah and Park Mi-young are doubles partners who left a significant mark on the history of Korean women's table tennis. The two won a bronze medal together in the women's team event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They also secured three consecutive bronze medals in the women's doubles at the 2007 Zagreb, 2009 Yokohama, and 2011 Rotterdam World Table Tennis Championships. They were a Korean Yeo Ja-tak-gu (CEO) defensive doubles team that climbed to the top of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Pro Tour on multiple occasions.

In particular, during her active playing days, Coach Kim Kyung-ah was known as the 'Chopped-Backhand' legend. With a receiving style that seemed to slice through the ball, she maintained a solid defensive wall for years, neutralizing the fierce serves of top players worldwide. Kim Kyung-ah's bronze medal in the women's singles at the 2004 Athens Olympics remains, to this day, the last Olympic table tennis singles medal for Korea, alongside Seung-min Yu, President of the Korean Olympic Committee, who won gold in the men's singles at the same Games.

The fact that these two stood on the same court again was only possible because of the World Masters held in Gangneung. Currently, Coach Kim Kyung-ah leads her teammates as a coach for the Korean Air women's table tennis team, while Park Mi-young has continued to play alongside amateur players in the community sports scene, never putting down her racket.

Coach Kim Kyung-ah said, "At first, I thought we should create memories together since such a tournament was being held in Korea. It's rare for two players of the same age group to compete together, and this year was perfect. I'm 49, and Mi-young is 45, so I thought it would be difficult to compete together if not now."

Park Mi-young also made a special choice. Originally selected for the national amateur sports team, Park Mi-young gave up her qualification to partner with her former teammate again in order to play with Wi Hae (CEO). Park Mi-young explained her reason for participating: "Such opportunities are rare, and this might be almost the last one. I decided to play with my older sister, and competing together again brought back many memories of the past."

There was not enough time to prepare. The two had practiced together only twice before the tournament. However, the chemistry built over more than a decade did not easily fade. Coach Kim Kyung-ah laughed, saying, "At first, I just wanted to enjoy it, regardless of whether we played well or not. But once we started practicing, I felt a desire to win." Park Mi-young also said, "At first, I felt we weren't as good as before, but the more we played, the better our feel seemed to become."

During their active playing days, Coach Kim Kyung-ah and Park Mi-young roamed the international stage together for over a decade. They lived in the same room for more than half of each year, sharing victories and defeats, joy and regrets. Coach Kim Kyung-ah recalled, "I spent seven to eight months a year with Mi-young. We saw each other more often than family, experiencing both good and difficult moments together. It was truly a close relationship."

After time had passed, the two met again, and their gaze toward each other had changed slightly. Coach Kim Kyung-ah said, "Back then, we were very ambitious. We always wanted to win, and I think I put a lot of pressure on (Park) Mi-young. Looking back now, I feel we didn't have to go that far." Park Mi-young also shared, "I think my older sister could have played more comfortably, and we could have enjoyed the game even more and performed better." These are words that could only be spoken after so much time had passed.

Ultimately, the two who met again on the Masters stage are now facing table tennis with a more relaxed mindset. Their competitive spirit has not disappeared. For two who once competed on the world's top stage, giving their best on the court remains the natural attitude. Coach Kim Kyung-ah said, "The desire to win is the same. However, it's not the intense pressure like before; now, it's truly fun."

The two are also competing in the women's singles 45–49 age group, not just in doubles. In particular, if they are positioned on opposite sides of the draw and continue to win side by side, there is a possibility they could meet in the finals. When asked what they would think if they faced each other in the finals, Coach Kim Kyung-ah said, "We should have friendly competition," while also emphasizing, "I believe that not giving our best would actually be disrespectful to this tournament. Showing our best effort aligns with the spirit of the event."

Once the 'legendary defensive team' that faced the world's strongest players and thrilled Korean fans, they will take a day of rest on the 9th and then enter the women's 45–49 age group doubles main tournament bracket starting on the 10th.

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*This content was translated by AI.