S. Korea's last Olympic boxing champion wishes medal was silver

30년 넘게 금메달을 반납하고픈 권투 챔피언, 88 서울 올림픽 박시헌 이야기
With the Tokyo Games just a few months away, it's high time to take a look back at Olympic history.
We travel back to 1988 Seoul, when Boxer Park Si-heon won Gold, but could not hold his head up high.
Han Seong-woo brings us his story.
South Korea's last Olympic boxing champion still sighs in pain when his gold medal is brought up.
It wasn't joy but shame on Park Si-heon's face at the end of the Seoul Olympics men's light middleweight boxing final against America's Roy Jones Jr.
"The very moment my hand was raised, I knew something wasn't right... Intuition... Afterwards, the press started attacking me when I had absolutely nothing to do with the result. All I did was fight my heart out in the ring, like an Olympic boxer would."
Spectators booed as three out of five judges awarded Park the victory despite Jones landing close to three times as many punches.
"Roy was just NINETEEN when we fought. I underestimated him. His technical prowess was beyond anything I expected. Speed, power, ring sense. Roy had everything and I admit... he was the better fighter."
The International Olympic Committee investigated the fight's decision amid allegations of corruption, but concluded in 1997 that it had found no evidence to support any of the claims.
Jones requested a rematch after the Olympics, but a nagging hand injury sustained two weeks before the Games would force Park to retire following their gold medal bout.
Jones would go on to become one of the sport's all-time greats while Park fell into depression.
"The media's words scarred me so much that I didn't even want to continue living anymore."
Park would eventually find a new purpose in life, mentoring young boxers, even leading the Korean boxing team at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Today, he coaches Seogwipo City's boxing team on Jeju Island, but hasn't given up on a chance to restore his honor.
"I want to sculpt a true Olympic boxing champion with my own two hands. I'll be able to leave the ring for good then and walk a new path... If the opportunity presents itself, I'd love to coach the national team again. It's my dream."
Park's son is working to reunite his father with Jones for a sparring session between the two Olympians' pupils...
A reunion that Park has been waiting for since 1988.
"Roy Jones Jr., you were an amazing athlete. The most technically skilled boxer I've ever seen. COVID-19's put a halt on all travel, but once I get the chance to see you again I'd like to give you a warm hug and hang my gold medal around your neck. It's been 33 years Let's talk and catch up on all the lost time my friend. Love you Roy."
Han Seong-woo, Arirang News.
#SouthKorea #Olympic #champion
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2021-04-20, 22:00 (KST)

[@bennyadler5882]

Park a good guy and said it well. If he's training Korean kids, that is one coach they can look up to 100%.

[@manatalk]

Park displays the true integrity of a champion.

[@brianmorecombe2726]

But he wasnt.

[@DaHappyTaco]

@@brianmorecombe2726he is tho? He is an Olympic gold medalist. Shouldn’t be, but he is quite literally a champion

[@snuglife4595]

You’re good man. You didn’t do it and no Americans blames you. Including Roy Jones Jr😊

[@Terzy]

Damn this was lowkey emotional

[@Aristotelezz]

Park Si-heon is nothing to blame.

[@go5582]

Im tearing up ,, hearing park in this video. I'm sure Roy will appreciate his gold metal. . I teared up seeing roy jr cry , and now I'm tearing up hearing park speak. This is a true Olympic ending.

[@JoseSalazar-ei1oy]

The Korean boxer had no control over the decision or what the ref did with his right hand; he only had control over his left hand and what he did with the gold medal.

[@michaelbrown7561]

Poor Guy! It wasn't his fault but he suffered for the decision. This was payback for the '84 Olympics where the Koreans felt robbed by the Americans in L.A. Sad there has to be a fall guy. Jones went on to be one of the greatest ever, Park slipped into depression. He's a good man and a class act.

[@amff7542]

Well... trade your gold for his silver. No need to spar.

[@gfirm456]

Sparring would be closure for the both of them…

[@raiter8495]

Shit ppl stuff

[@topflightstyle4141]

If he gave Roy his gold and Roy gives the Silver to him it fixes everything and Roy might give him money 💰 for it you never know.

[@Quadzilla99]

If you'd have watched the video he literally said he wants to hang the gold medal around Roy Jones Jr's neck in person

[@reginaldselby5074]

Honorable man. Dishonorable decision.

[@brianoakes70255]

Sorry, buddy. I hope you have passed depression. It is not your fault. It was a corrupt decision.

[@Ricobaca]

Gold medalist quit before turning pro?🤔

[@junhyunglee6744]

Koreaan government supports amateur boxer so much, that korean boxers lose motivation to turn pro. It's quite funny that amateur boxer gets paid regularly by local governments (let's say something equivalent to Houston City Council supporting boxere) but pros get paid per fight. Yes, it sounds very odd considering what "amateur and pro" means, but it happens here.

[@vinzanity68]

When politicians destroy lives😢

[@UlisesBarrera]

He knew the whole bout was rigged, no give me no bull …..,

[@sirdope2575]

I JUST WATCH KOREAN MOVIE BASE ON PARK LIFE AFTER OLYMPIC.. ITS KIND OF SAD THO... RETIRED FROM BOXING NEVER MAKE IT TO PROFESSIONAL LEVEL BECAUSE OF THIS SH*T

[@darkstar4102]

I do not get, why did he not hand medal at the time? of course it would easy to give couple decades later when it basically has no value. in my opinion he it seems he just wants to get his reputation back after stealing the win

[@darriusdeburgh7333]

They should switch. Would be a good story.

[@teemillionaire500]

Park know that’s fake y coach when u know u not good

[@jukebox1138]

Security cameras caught the Korean boxing coach handing envelopes to the judges before the fight.

[@keithcampbell6806]

Good afternoon this was not the only rotten decision he was given. Niardello of ltaly beat him just as bad earlier in the Games.

[@phyromhuy7505]

He also had the option to not accept the gold medal like a real man.

[@csb7376]

"Intuition", That and getting your head punched off for 3 rounds.

[@mr.sinjin-smyth]

Then Soviet bloc judges voted for Jones, while the "Free World" judges voted for the South Korean. Amazing display of judging by the free world back then.

[@mikeroagreschen5350]

One of the judges who gave it to Jones was South Korean.

[@michaelrooney2216]

Hey your a great fighter yes you should have got silver but that’s not your fault

[@nasronachmadi724]

none of us blame you. even roy jones junior. roy jonesjr has a lot money and title afterward

[@user-qx5sz7bh7m]

Пак Ши Хонт сам в недоумении был, что ему подняли руку, и сам поднял Роя, показал кто победитель!

[@rockyesterline7942]

The Judges should still be in prison!!!!!!!! Ex-pro BOXER FOUNDER of Boxing vs UFC!!!!!! and best fight PREDICTOR of all times !!!!!! Rocky the Eastern Assassin ESTERLINE!!!!!!!! Las Vegas!!!!!

[@brianmorecombe2726]

He shouldnt be so hung up about it.He wasnt the judge.He boxed fairly but was gifted the decision.It was only an amatuer fight.The worst boxing robbery i ever saw was a professional bout when Roberto Duran viciously fouled Ken Buchanan and was awarded the title.

[@carpetdragon350]

If they fought today I’d take Park over RJJ.

[@cwill2000]

Thieves, give Roy the gold medal. Accepting the medal it is guilt.

[@darkstar4102]

Exactly, he said nothing at the time, and just took the gold medal, if he really felt bad he should of gave the medal to him at time not few decades later. he just hugged Roy after fight to acknowledged he won but still took the gold medal home with him. in my eyes he just as bad as the corrupt judges. but all journalist are too scared to ask him that question.

[@HeyyyItsaMe]

I mean I thought Roy clearly got robbed but this was never about a two-person business. It was probably a massive political motive behind this for something this brutal to happen, and both Roy and Park were just ponds on the table. Roy cant just be made the gold medalist just because Park says so. At that point, both understand that it was not simply a boxing match that they were involved with. To his credits, Park did not really celebrate and immediately lift Roy up signaling the true winner, right in Seoul. That takes courage to do.

[@akapandeo]

Give the gold as redeeming feature to Roy, till you hold on to that gold you can be judged as a hypocrite.

[@andrewwebb624]

You can't be a hypocrite for a decision you didn't make bud

[@akapandeo]

@@andrewwebb624 if we can agree on the general meaning of a hypocrite i am sure one can be, so how do you define a hypocrite ?

[@danielju9953]

@@akapandeo i agree he should traded his medal with roy but how many fighters you see given a bad decision admit they list? they usually double down. your asking him to do soething above and beyond anyone has ever done. he told jones he wonand lifted him up after the match and hes never said he won. dont let the perfect be the enemy of the good...

[@akapandeo]

@@danielju9953 well thn , people can also say the overwhelming evidence he saw as well as the video evidence in public domain forced him to acknowledge the travesty, imagine there was no public video footage,how would he have reacted given the fact that he hasn't relinquish the medal still? Lastly, is morality absolute or subjective?

[@kyoto6501]

@@akapandeo you must be dumb neither one would want to "trade" medals thats hella weird the best way was for it to be overturned imagine getting robbed then pityed into trading medals. nobody wants that

[@cynthiakent4033]

I don’t know what happened but Park Si-Heon should be proud of his gold metal. Maybe the judges weren’t just looking at how many jabs were made but how they fought.

[@wyterabitt2149]

Back then amateur boxing was scored entirely on punches landed. There was no subjective element. He does not deserve to be blamed, but he did not win.

[@garrettohyeah7365]

A few of the judges for that fight were banned for life from judging again so yeah, they absolutely cheated Roy Jones Jr. out of a gold medal

[@sonojah]

You are talking utter RUBBISH. He was thoroughly outclassed by the FAR superior Jones Jr. Especially with the Asian culture of honor, honesty and dignity he should not have accepted the medal. At least a contigent of Korean monks expressed the country's and the world's sentiments that Roy was indeed robbed of a gold medal. In the end Roy went on to bigger and better, so I guess he got the proverbial last laugh.

[@omarjamal16]

If they cheated Roy they cheated every other fighter that faced him.

[@wyterabitt2149]

@@omarjamal16 Wut