The goal is to rank in the top 10 in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games this coming August, Team Korea announced on April 27, 100 days prior to the beginning of the international sporting event.

Marking the 100-day point prior to this summer's Olympic Games, the 31th Rio De Janeiro Olympics D-100 event was held at the Taereung Training Center in Nowon-gu District, Seoul. Members of Team Korea, which ranked fifth on the medals table at the London 2012 Summer Olympics with 13 golds, 8 silvers and 7 bronzes, once again stated its goal to rank in the top 10 in the coming Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.

The sets of clothes for the athletes, including uniforms, training suits and jackets for medalists, were unveiled as well for the first time. The designs were inspired by the four corner bars on the Taegeukgi national flag, geon, gon, gam and ri, which mean the sky, the earth, water and fire.

Team Korea is made up of 230 athletes and aims to win at least 10 gold medals. It will compete in 27 different sports, from archery and taekwondo through to judo, badminton, fencing and golf. The Olympics begin on August 6.



"No marksman has won three consecutive gold medals in the Olympics," said Jin Jongoh who won two consecutive Olympic gold medals in the men's 50 meter pistol in 2008 and 2012, as well as another in the 10 meter air pistol in 2012. "Three consecutive golds, if it happens, would be a great honor for me, but I'll focus more on the challenge itself and do my best," the medalist said.

Archer Ki Bo-bae also spoke about setting new records. "We're approaching a possible eighth consecutive gold for the women's archery team, which is quite a burden," she said. "Retaining first place is more difficult than competing for first place. If I keep training, I think I might achieve a new record of two consecutive gold medals for the first time in women's individual archery."

Team Korea will depart July 27 for Brazil and compete for 17 days.



By Sohn JiAe, Chang Iou-chung
Korea.net Staff Writers
Photos: Korean Olympic Committee, Yonhap News
jiae5853@korea.kr