Jongwon Chon

"THERE IS NO WASTED EFFORT."

SOUTH KOREAN OLYMPIAN, x2 IFSC BOULDER SEASON CHAMPION & ASIAN GAME GOLD MEDALIST

ON HIS PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS

"The first time I won a Bouldering World Cup, then I won the whole season and then a gold medal at the Asian Games. Those are my three proudest moments"

ON POCARI SWEAT

"Pocari sweat seems to be the drink Koreans have the most when exercising. It's important to rehydrate and recover, so I think it's a good drink in that regard."

ON BEING AN ATHLETE IN KOREA

"In Korea, it seems like hobbyist climbers are very passionate, which is something I am proud of; however, from an athlete perspective, Korea has not yet developed much. I think there are many young people now who are interested in climbing and I hope Korea will become the strongest climbing country in the future"

ON HIS FAVOURITE FOOD

"I like Korean food the best. Among Korean food, I really like dishes that are meat-oriented such as pork belly, stir-fried pork and things like that."

ON HIS TATTOOS

"When I get into something, I tend to really get into it. That's how I got into sports, I worked really hard, and somehow I also fell in love with tattoos. I also really liked fish when I was younger so I got a fish tattoo because I like fish. I also got a tattoo of the ranking trophy for the season I won. I try to fill it with things that are meaningful to me. The perception is not that great in Korea yet, so certain aspects of me felt uneasy because of that. But I have no regrets and I personally still like them."

ON HIS POST COMPETITION CRAVINGS

"In the past I ate a lot of local foods when I competed abroad, but strangely, since I've gotten a bit older, I crave Korean food the most. When I go to European competitions or to train, I always bring a lot of cup rice with me, so I tend to eat a lot of that. Even after competitions, I think of Samgyeopsal (pork belly bbq) or Kimchi Jiggae (stew)."

ON HIS GREATEST LESSON

"For me, the most trying moment was probably during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since there were no competitions and no motivation during the pandemic, to be honest, I think a lot of the things I didn't do with myself in training because I didn't really train from the heart.

Now that it's over, I think it's taking its toll on me a little bit in the Olympics and beyond. So it's been a really tough time. So, I think the lesson that I've definitely learned was something I knew before. What I realised once again is that exercise, all exercise, should be the same. But the results only come back to you depending on how hard you work and how much you put into it. It was a lesson that I knew, but I think it really hit home for me again."

MESSAGE TO THE WORLD

This is something I'd want to say to both climbers and people in general - "Even though I haven't lived that long in life, as I've experienced more and more, I feel there is no wasted effort. Depending on how sincerely you make the effort in what you are doing, I think that good results will come. Even if the results are not immediately evident, I believe that if you work continuously, the results will appear one day. So don't worry too much about the results. I hope you consistently put great effort into everything that you do.