At 28 years of age, she is now the oldest taekwondo medalist representing Korea.
Proving third time is the charm, she proudly put the gold around her neck at her first
ever Olympic Games, but her third try overall.
Oh Hye-ri, the 2016 Olympic champion in women's under 67 kilogram taekwondo - she's back on
Korean soil after a surreal experience in Rio and I went to meet her myself.
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Hello, Oh Hye-ri.
It's really good to see you.
Likewise.
Wow, you're much taller in person.
Oh, no.
So, this is the Korea National Training Center.
Yes, this is it.
This is where I train, it's where I live.
I feel much more at ease since I've permanently been based here since last year.
You feel at home.
Yes, I've gotten used to this place.
This is where I train when I'm at the training center.
It's where I spend the most amount of time - like the living room in a house.
Inside the octagonal court .
We trained in this court to prepare for any kind of unexpected variables or situations
that could arise at the Olympics.
The Olympics taekwondo team trained here together and polished our strategic moves.
In other words, our five Olympic medals come from here.
Leading up to the Rio Games, we even practiced with loud music in the background to simulate
the actual match as closely as possible.
I also remember coming here at night when no one else is around and train by myself.
I still remember the feeling accomplishment and the cool breeze on my way back to the
dorm after a long workout alone.
What does the Korea National Training Center mean to you?
First of all, it's where only the select few can enter.
It's also where I was able to achieve my dream.
It's really hard to make it to the national team and join the national training center.
Once you make it to the national team, the training that follows is even harder.
The good part is there's a lot of support for us to get trained in an optimal environment.
The training was tough last year, but I've managed to enjoy every season as they taught
me to overcome hardships.
And time really flew by Before I knew it, it was time to go to Rio
After winning the gold
I expected you to burst into tears after winning the gold medal round.
But, you smiled all the way through looking very confident.
You were really enjoying the moment.
How did you feel?
You are absolutely right.
Like you said, I was just very happy.
That's strange because I usually cry when I watch other people compete.
Before the match, I met Korean residents in Brazil.
They said they hoped to hear the Korean national anthem at the Rio Games.
I promised them I'd do my best to make that happen.
In hindsight, it's still strange for me that I didn't cry after the finals, I think it
was just joy that I felt.
I was happy knowing that I've done my best without regrets.
You went to the Beijing Olympics as a training partner of Olympic champion Hwang Kyung-sun.
How was that experience?
I don't have sad memories of then.
I learned a lot from that experience.
Had I not experienced being in the shoes of failing to make it to
the Olympics but going as a training partner, I would have never come this far.
I learned a lot from being on both sides.
Both competing in the Olympics and becoming an Olympic champion and helping someone as
a training partner.
This is where athletes at the Korea National Training Center undergo weight training.
If the taekwondo gym can be compared to the living room, this would be the parlor.
This is the Wall of Fame of all Korean Olympic medalists.
I remember running on the treadmill picturing my photo up on the wall.
I can't believe it's really happened.
Do you have the gold medal from the Rio Olympics with you?
It's very heavy
It is.
It feels heavier than three medals together.
I think this one is so heavy because it is the hardest of to earn.
It's as if the weight of the Olympics is embodied in this single medal.
MCY: So these are reserved for Rio, Pyeongchang and Tokyo, right?
MCY: I wish you all the best and will keep my hopes up that we will see your photo on
that very end of the wall in four years' time.
OHR: I sure will do my best.
OHR: If you've worked hard for the Olympics, it's easy to feel lost when it's over.
But for us, once Olympics are over, a series of competitions remain.
Right now my plan is to focus on training for the 97th National Sports Festival in September
and the Grand Final in October.
And then there's the World Championships, and in no time, I'm sure the Asian Games will
be upon me.
MCY: And... even beyond.
OHR:Yes, even beyond because I'm 25 at heart.