Kim Ye-ji is a shooting athlete who won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but this time she was on site as a commentator watching her husband Lee Geon-hyeok compete.
Lee Geon-hyeok won both the Asian record and the gold medal in the men’s 25ｍ rapid-fire pistol event held on October 1 at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Range in Japan.
Behind the athlete’s record was the tension felt by the family watching him.
3-Line Summary
1. Kim Ye-ji watched her husband Lee Geon-hyeok win the gold medal.
2. Lee Geon-hyeok set a 32-point record in the 25ｍ rapid-fire pistol.
3. The couple’s challenge for the LA Olympics remains a plan for now.
Lee Geon-hyeok Reaches the Top of the Individual Event with 32 Points
According to MoneyToday, Lee Geon-hyeok scored 32 points in the men’s 25ｍ rapid-fire pistol individual event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held on October 1 at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Range in Japan. The score was described as an Asian record, and Lee Geon-hyeok took home the gold medal.
It was not an achievement limited to the individual event. Lee Geon-hyeok also won the earlier team event, making him a double gold medalist at these Games. The individual and team gold medals in the same event stand out because they resulted from the combination of one athlete’s score on the firing line and the team’s performance.
The Korean shooting team finished these Games with 3 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and 4 bronze medals. According to a Daum article carrying a No Cut News report, Choo Ga-eun won the first gold medal in the women’s 10ｍ air pistol, while Lee Geon-hyeok added 2 gold medals in the men’s 25ｍ rapid-fire pistol individual and team events on October 1. Korea finished second overall in shooting.
The Different Tensions of Athlete Kim Ye-ji and Wife Kim Ye-ji
Kim Ye-ji is a silver medalist in shooting from the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, during Lee Geon-hyeok’s event, she was not the athlete pulling the trigger herself, but his wife watching from the commentary booth. According to reports, after the gold medal was secured, Kim Ye-ji said, “I really thought I was going to die,” and added a joke that she had tried to change the home’s password.
After his victory, Lee Geon-hyeok also laughed as he said that Kim Ye-ji had told him not to come home if he failed to win the gold medal before the Games. He said he was grateful to his wife for supporting him so that he could compete comfortably. It was a scene in which the words of the athlete who set the record were followed by the reaction of the family member who watched it happen.
The 2028 LA Olympics Remain a Goal
After these Games, Lee Geon-hyeok is looking toward the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics. Reports also said that Kim Ye-ji, while working as a commentator, is aiming to earn a spot on the national team for the LA Olympics.
However, the two appearing together on the Olympic stage is not a confirmed result but a future goal. What was confirmed at these Asian Games was Lee Geon-hyeok’s individual and team gold medals and Kim Ye-ji’s on-site commentary work. For the couple to stand on the same Olympic stage, each must go through the qualification and national-team selection processes.
References
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