Shooting star Park Jin-ho wins second gold at Paris Paralympics

Park Jin-ho (47), affectionately known as the "Smile Shooter," made history by becoming the first Korean athlete to win two gold medals at the Paris Paralympics. On September 3rd, Park competed in the SH1 class (spinal cord injury) men’s rifle three positions 50-meter (R7) final at the Châteauroux Shooting Center in France. He set a new Paralympic record with a score of 454.6 points, narrowly beating China’s Dong Chao( (39), who scored 451.8 points. On Saturday, this victory followed Park’s earlier gold in the men’s air rifle 10-meter standing (R1).

Reflecting on his achievement, Park shared, "I feel more out of it than when I won my first gold medal. It’s like I’m wondering, ‘Is this a dream or reality?’" He credited the cool weather for helping him stay comfortable and focused, contributing to his record-breaking performance.

Park, who graduated from Suwon University’s Department of Physical Education, ended up in a wheelchair in 2002 after a fall. He considered giving up his dream of becoming an athlete, but his older sister, Park Kyung-mi, persuaded him by saying, “People with disabilities can also exercise.” Park chose shooting because he wanted to do a manly sport.

Afterward, Park won four medals at the 2014 World Para Shooting Championships, earning him the nickname “Jin Jong-oh of Paralympic Shooting, but he couldn’t claim gold medals. He returned empty-handed from the 2016 Rio Games and had to settle for a silver and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Having finally won two gold medals at the Paris Paralympics, Park will aim for a third in the mixed rifle 50-meter prone (R6) event on Thursday. If he wins, Park will become the first Korean para-shooting athlete to win three gold medals in a single Paralympic competition.

“When I won my first gold medal in this competition, I only celebrated for one day. The next day, I thought, ‘It’s just the end of one competition.’ If I had been excited then, I wouldn’t have won two gold medals,” Park said. “I have a lot of regrets about the Paralympics, so I will approach the next competition with the mindset of starting over again. After the competition, I want to visit my parents and in-laws and have a party.”


샤토루=김정훈 기자 hun@donga.com