Lee Ri-young and Heo Yoon-seo Confirmed to go to Paris... Korean Artist Goes to the Olympics for the First Time in 12 Years
By virtue of finishing in the top 10 in the duet technical and free at the Doha World Championships
Lee Ri-young (23, Busan Swimming Federation) and Heo Yun-seo (18, Apgujeong High School) secured qualifications for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
It has been 12 years since sisters Park Hyun-sun and Park Hyun-ha at the 2012 London Games that Korean athletes have appeared on the Olympic stage in artistic swimming.
An official from the Korea Aquatics Federation said on the 12th, "Korea Artistic Swimming has won the right to advance to the Paris Olympics in the duet event. 스포츠토토
It was confirmed today."
National team leader Kim Hyo-mi said in a phone call that day, “Today, the latest information regarding qualification for the Paris Olympics was updated.
“I was anxious, but I heard good news,” he said.
Heo Yoon-seo and Lee Ri-young also posted on social networking services (SNS), “We will compete in the Paris Olympics.
“Thank you to the coaches and everyone who supported me,” he wrote.
The two also expressed their gratitude to each other.
18 teams will participate in the artistic swimming duet competition at the Paris Olympics.
Korean artistic swimming cannot participate in the Olympic team event.
Their performance at the Doha World Championships led to their participation in the Paris Olympics.
Lee Ri-young and Heo Yun-seo placed 10th in the duet technical final at the Doha World Championships.
The previous highest ranking in this event was Lee Ri-young and Heo Yun-seo's 12th place in Budapest in 2022.
Lee Ri-young and Heo Yun-seo also advanced to the finals of the World Championships in the duet free for the first time in Korean artistic history and ranked 10th.
Lee Ri-young and Heo Yoon-seo, who have opened the door to the Olympics, will soon resume training to show more elaborate and spectacular performances in Paris.
Leader Kim Hyo-mi said, "After Lee Lee-young and Heo Yun-seo placed 4th place at the Hangzhou Asian Games last fall, we focused on technical training to avoid receiving a base mark (lowest score per technical element).