India’s Olympic hopes largely rest on the shoulders of several extremely talented women. These women are not only experts in their field, but they are also trailblazers for women’s athletics in India.
Krishna Poonia
Courtesy of thehindu.com
At 30 years old, Krishna Poonia is looking to capture an Olympic gold medal in the discus throw. She broke out onto the international seen in 2006 and entered the Beijing Olympics as a medal contender but failed to make the finals. The mother of a ten-year-old son, Poonia is looking forward to settling down and spending time with her son after these Olympics. However, Poonia admits that her son is one of her most avid fans. Poonia made history by becoming India’s first female athlete to win the discus throw at a major international tournament history when she won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
Courtesy of Korea Times
Name: Ki-Chun Wang
Country: South Korea
Sport: Judo
Ht/Wt: 5’7’’/160 lbs.
Birthdate: September 13, 1988
Judo may not be a popular sport, in the Olympics and in general, like swimming and track but Ki-Chun Wang might bring the deserved recognition to the modern martial arts sport. At 19-years-old, Wang became the second youngest world champion ever in 2007 and took home the gold medal that year. Two years later, he claimed his second gold. Then that following year in 2010, Wang won the bronze medal in the World Championships. As far as the Olympics, he entered as a favorite to win, but suffered from a fractured rib and achieved the silver. However, we hope that Wang goes all the way this year and we’ll definitely be cheering him on all the way through.
