'China is no longer to be feared': Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin, who have crossed the Great Wall twice, say, "We'll do our medal ceremony after winning gold at the Asian Games" [Jincheon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

The pair, consisting of Lim Jong-hoon (29·Korea Exchange) and Shin Yu-bin (22·Korean Air), who became a topic of discussion for adjusting each other's collars during the medal ceremony at the Hangzhou Asian Games, are now dreaming of a gold medal ceremony.

After finishing a public training session held on the 30th at the Olympic Hall in Jincheon Athletes' Village, Chungbuk, for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Lim Jong-hoon stated his determination: "I have a strong desire to achieve even better results than in the previous tournament. Especially since our recent results in mixed doubles have been good, I think my ambition for mixed doubles is currently greater."

Shin Yu-bin also added firmly, "Although this is my second Asian Games, I will participate in all events, so I will take responsibility and strive to achieve the best possible results."

On this day, the entire Korean men's and women's Tak Gu (CEO) team held a public training session for the Asian Games. In this tournament, Shin Yu-bin, as the ace, will compete in all events: team competition, women's singles, women's doubles with Ju Cheon-hee (24·Samsung Life), and mixed doubles with Lim Jong-hoon.

The table tennis event with the highest medal potential at this tournament is the mixed doubles in which Shin Yu-bin competes. Known for her fast-paced attacks driven by exceptional instincts, Shin Yu-bin shares a perfect synergy with Lim Jong-hoon, whose strength lies in stable match management using his left hand.

Having already proven themselves on the international stage with a gold medal at the "2022 Hangzhou Asian Games" held in 2023 and a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, they are an established doubles ace. Lim Jong-hoon smiled broadly, saying, "At first, I thought men played a larger role in mixed doubles, so I often overexerted myself. As a result, matches frequently went wrong. Recently, however, my performance has been consistently good to the point where I no longer feel like matches are going off track."

He continued, "I believe synchronization means knowing when I need to exert extra effort and when to trust and rely on (Shin) Yu-bin. Since Yu-bin competes in both singles and doubles, she inevitably faces difficulties. Now, I know how she can maintain a good condition for matches. If Yu-bin looks tired, I will work even harder to chase the ball. The same applies in reverse."

As a result, they have now crossed the Great Wall twice, which was once considered insurmountable. Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin won gold medals by defeating the world's strongest pair, Wang Chuqin-Sun Yingsha (China), at the 2025 World Table Tennis (WTT) Finals in Hong Kong mixed doubles and the 2026 WTT Smash in the United States. Consequently, Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin currently hold the number one ranking in mixed doubles worldwide.

Lim Jong-hoon responded, "Previously, I had some weaknesses in my defense, so I worked hard to improve that area. By mixing up my defensive play, I created more good opportunities for (Shin) Yu-bin. As I also improved the shortcomings in my attack, I gained the ability to control matches similarly to my opponents."

Shin Yu-bin also expressed gratitude: "As you can see now, my senior partner creates a light atmosphere, allowing me to play comfortably. Even though he is my senior, he listens carefully to my opinions, enabling me to play with peace of mind. Sometimes, he even teaches me techniques like a teacher." She added, "It's not easy to achieve results by defeating strong opponents. Not only did we get good results, but our match performances were also excellent, making it a valuable experience."

When the two stood at the center of attention during the Hangzhou Asian Games medal ceremony for winning bronze, they were known for adjusting each other's collars. When reporters asked Lim Jong-hoon if he had prepared a ceremony this time as well, he laughed and said, "That entirely depends on (Shin) Yu-bin. If she asks me to do something, I'll do it." Shin Yu-bin also smiled, saying, "I want to give my senior partner a gold medal as a gift. I want to win the gold medal and perform a great ceremony."

They responded calmly to the heightened expectations compared to the previous tournament. Lim Jong-hoon stated his determination: "Whenever I compete as a national team member, feelings of pressure and responsibility always coexist. It is something I must naturally overcome and accomplish. While winning a medal is not guaranteed, we are working hard to achieve it. This time, we are preparing diligently with gold medals as our goal rather than silver. We will work even harder to deliver good results."

Shin Yu-bin concluded with, "As we hold the glorious position of national team members, we will do our utmost to prepare and achieve the best possible results. Fighting!"

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*This content was translated by AI.