Husband-and-wife curling duo to love, cherish Paralympic experience 작성일 03-05 26 목록 <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/05/0000085259_001_20260305160712665.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Curlers Nam Bong-gwang, left, and Baek Hye-jin [KOREAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Husband-and-wife curling duo Nam Bong-gwang and Baek Hye-jin will compete at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, each representing Korea in different curling events. <br> <br> The Paralympics begin with an opening ceremony at the Arena di Verona in Verona, Italy, on Friday. Curling and Nordic skiing stand as Korea’s main medal prospects. <br> <br> Curling previously featured only the mixed team event, but the Paralympics added mixed doubles, increasing the number of medal events in the sport to two. Nam and Baek will not be competing side by side, as Nam will play in the mixed team competition while Baek will compete in mixed doubles. <br> <br> Baek suffered a spinal cord injury in a traffic accident in 2011 and spent two years in the hospital recovering. She found herself drawn to sports and took up wheelchair curling, in which athletes use an extender cue to deliver the stone, in 2015. <br> <br> Curling also brought her together with Nam. The two met during rookie player training in 2016. They began dating soon after and married in November 2020. <br> <br> Baek went to the Paralympics first. In June 2021, the couple faced each other in a national team selection tournament that determined Korea’s berth for the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics. <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/05/0000085259_002_20260305160712811.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Curler Nam Bong-gwang [KOREAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Nam competed for the Gyeonggi government team, which many considered the strongest team at the time. Baek’s Uijeongbu team, however, won the tournament instead. <br> <br> Nam supported his wife during the Beijing Paralympics by sending her a letter of encouragement, although she did not win a medal. <br> <br> The couple later hoped to compete together in mixed doubles at the 2026 Paralympics. Their plan changed when Nam was selected to compete for the mixed team squad. <br> <br> Baek still secured a place in mixed doubles alongside Lee Yong-seok, whom she has known since their time at the hospital where she underwent rehabilitation. The pair qualified for the Paralympics after defeating the married duo of Jung Tae-young and Jo Min-kyung, the 2024 world champions, in the national selection contest. <br> <br> “It feels like a great honor to go together as a married couple," Baek said. "This feels special for our family. Training together gives me confidence. Winning medals together would be wonderful." <br> <br> She also offered advice to her husband before his Paralympic debut. <br> <br> “He is already a strong player, so I told him not to feel nervous.” <br> <br> Nam also expressed confidence in his wife. <br> <br> “Her mixed doubles event starts first,” Nam said. “If she performs well, I will try to carry that momentum into my matches." <br> <br> Korea will send a 56-strong delegation, including 20 athletes. The team has set a goal of winning at least one gold medal and finishing in 20th place on the medal table. <br><br><i>This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.</i> 관련자료 이전 3명이 3이닝씩 50구 이내 무실점 투구…호주, 경계 대상 급부상 03-05 다음 김혜수, ‘지금 불륜이 문제가 아닙니다’ 촬영 중 엄지 척…글로벌 팬클럽 선물에 미소 03-05 댓글 0 등록된 댓글이 없습니다. 로그인한 회원만 댓글 등록이 가능합니다.
