Ice Skating: Park Sunghoon
Park Sunghoon, better known as Sunghoon, was born on December 8, 2002, in South Korea. He is
a retired figure skater who is now a member of the South Korean group Enhypen.
His career as a professional skater began when he was 9 years old, a decision made by his mother
to help him overcome his shyness and express himself better. Since then, he participated in
various national and international competitions.
He won a silver medal in the junior category (2016-2017) at the Asian Figure Skating Trophy and a
gold medal in the novice category at the Lombardia Trophy in 2015. He also earned a silver medal
at the Korean Figure Skating Championship in the beginner's category in 2013 and the junior
category in 2014. However, He retired from professional skating after 10 years due to his wishes to
become a singer. He is currently a member of the K-pop group Enhypen, fulfilling his dreams.
Artistic Swimming: Svetlana Romáshina
Svetlana Alekséyevna Romáshina was born on September 21, 1989, in Moscow, Russia. She is a
Russian artistic swimmer.
If she had not participated in four Summer Olympic Games between 2008 and 2020, she would
not have won seven gold medals: one in Beijing 2008, two in London 2012, two in Rio de Janeiro
2016, and two in Tokyo 2020. Additionally, if she hadn't won twenty-one gold medals at the World
Swimming Championships between 2005 and 2019 and thirteen gold medals at the European
Swimming Championships between 2006 and 2021, her achievements would have been quite
different. However, earlier this year, when she announced her retirement from high-level
competitive swimming, her remarkable career came to an end.
Artistic Gymnastics: Simone Biles
Simone Arianne Biles was born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. She is a
highly famous and renowned artistic gymnast known for her numerous achievements in
competitions. Biles also holds Belizean nationality.
At the age of six, Simone went on a field trip to a gymnastics center where she started mimicking
other gymnasts in the back of the gym. Looking back, she often wishes she could relive that
moment, as it was the beginning of her incredible journey. One of the coaches noticed her talent
and called another coach to observe her. They sent a letter to her maternal grandparents to
encourage them to enroll her in a gymnastics institute, and soon Simone began taking classes in
her spare time. She has never regretted that decision, as it shaped her future in ways she could
have only dreamed of. From the age of 8 to the present, she continues to train and excel in the
sport.
If Biles hadn't become a seven-time national champion from 2013 to 2021 in the all-around
individual competition, her legacy might not have shone as brightly. Winning the Olympic gold
medal in Rio 2016 was a defining moment, and she could have missed out on being a five-time
world champion, accomplishing the unique feat of achieving this three times in a row from 2013 to
2015, 2018, and 2019. In individual apparatus competitions, five world championships on floor
have been won by her from 2013 to 2015, 2018, and 2019, along with three on balance beam in
2014, 2015, and 2019, and two on the vault in 2018 and 2019. She is a part of the United States
national team, which achieved victory in the championships in Nanning 2014, Glasgow 2015, Doha
2018, and Stuttgart 2019, in addition to securing gold at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games.
With 19 world championship titles and 25 medals won in world championships, Simone is the
most recognized gymnast of this century.
Badminton: Lin Dan
Lin Dan is a Chinese badminton player born on October 14, 1983, in Fujian, China.
Lin was encouraged by his parents to learn to play the piano and become a pianist, but he chose to
play badminton instead. He started his training at the age of five and was scouted by the People's
Liberation Army Sports Team after winning the National Junior Championships at the age of
twelve. He joined the Chinese National Badminton Team in 2001, at the age of 18.
He participated in four Summer Olympic Games between 2004 and 2016, winning two gold medals
in the individual event in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. He also won seven medals at the
Badminton World Championships between 2005 and 2017.
Equestrian: Tobias Jørgensen
Tobias Thorning Jørgensen was born on February 6, 2000, and is a Danish Paralympic equestrian.
His parents bought him his first pony even before he was born. His passion for this sport might be
a family trait, as his mother, Line Thorning Jorgensen, also competed in equestrian events at the
Paralympic Games.
In Tokyo 2020, victory in the individual grade III dressage and freestyle events was achieved by
Jorgensen as he rode his horse Jolene Hill, surpassing the five-time gold medalist Natasha Baker of
Great Britain on both occasions. At such a young age, he is already making a name for himself, and
there is a possibility that he could become one of the best equestrian athletes in the world.
