An Se-young declines detailing mishandled injury claims until chat with badminton association

Olympic Sports

An Se-young declines detailing mishandled injury claims until chat with badminton association

Published: 07 Aug. 2024, 17:22 Updated: 07 Aug. 2024, 18:04

CHO JUNG-WOO
cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr

JIM BULLEY
jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr

An Se-young talks to reporters at Incheon International Airport on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Olympic gold medalist An Se-young declined to share further details about her claims that the Badminton Korea Association mishandled her injury after returning to Korea Wednesday, telling reporters she would speak in detail after discussing the matter with the association.

“The criticism was not intended to fight [with the association], but rather to express my desire to return to training and seek understanding,” An told reporters upon arriving at Incheon International Airport in Incheon.

“I have just arrived and have not yet discussed the matter with the association. I will make detailed comments after having that discussion.”

An departed Paris to return to Korea Tuesday, a day after she won the badminton women’s singles title and leveled a series of criticisms at the Badminton Korea Association. She skipped a press conference for Korean badminton medalists earlier in the day.

Speaking to reporters immediately after the gold medal match, An claimed that national team staff failed to take a knee injury last year seriously, insisted on archaic training regiments and focused on doubles players over singles players.

An’s departure from Paris on Tuesday was already scheduled — the entire Korean badminton team left Paris together — but her absence from the morning’s press conference was not.

Speaking to reporters at Charles de Gaulle airport, An said that she would make a statement when she was back in Korea.

"The situation is quite complicated now," she said according to Yonhap News Agency. "I will have more to say once I am back in Korea."

On her absence at the morning’s press conference, An said: "They just told me to wait. There wasn't anything I could do. I don't know what's going on."

The head of the Badminton Korean Association, Kim Taek-gyu, who arrived at the Incheon International Airport earlier Wednesday with other officials, told reporters that there was no conflict between An and the association.

“It sounds like the association has made a significant mistake, but many aspects might be understandable after reviewing the press release,” Kim said, according to Yonhap News Agency.

He mentioned that they would further explain the association’s misdiagnosis of her knee injury through a statement later in the day after investigating the matter. Kim was scheduled to take the same flight as the other badminton players on Tuesday but departed earlier in the morning.

KSOC President Lee Kee-heung also responded to An’s criticism on Tuesday, telling reporters that he had ordered coaches to submit reports on how An’s injuries were handled.

He didn’t comment on her complaints about training methods, saying that he did not have enough information and would look into the situation further after the Olympics.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO AND JIM BULLEY [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]