Son Yeon-jae

Son Yeon-jae
— Gymnast —
Son at the 2014 Asian Games
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Fairy
Country represented	South Korea
Born	(1994-05-28) 28 May 1994 Seoul, South Korea
Height	158 cm (5 ft 2 in)
Weight	48 kg (105 lb 13 oz)
Level	Senior International Elite
Years on national team	South Korea
Gym	Novogorsk
Head coach(es)	Elena Nefedova
World ranking	5 (2015 Season) [1] 5 (2014 Season)[2] 5 (2013 Season)[3] 9 (2012 Season)[4] 19 (2011 Season)[5]
Medal record Competitor for  South Korea Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships 2014 Izmir Hoop Asian Games 2014 Incheon All-around 2014 Incheon Team 2010 Guangzhou All-around World Cup Final 2013 St.Petersburg Hoop 2015 Kazan Hoop 2014 Kazan Hoop 2013 St.Petersburg Ribbon Summer Universiade 2015 Gwangju All-Around 2015 Gwangju Hoop 2015 Gwangju Ball 2015 Gwangju Clubs 2015 Gwangju Ribbon 2013 Kazan Ball Asian Championships 2015 Jecheon All-around 2015 Jecheon Hoop 2015 Jecheon Ball 2013 Tashkent All-around 2013 Tashkent Hoop 2013 Tashkent Clubs 2015 Jecheon Team 2013 Tashkent Ribbon 2013 Tashkent Team 2015 Jecheon Ribbon

Son Yeon-jae (born 28 May 1994 in Seoul) KTM is a South Korean individual rhythmic gymnast. A member of the South Korean national gymnastics team, based in Taereung, Seoul.^[6] She is the 2014 Asian Games All-around Champion, the 2010 Asian Games all-around bronze medalist, two time (2015, 2013) Asian Championships All-around Champion. She is managed by the IB Sports agency. Son currently trains in Russia. She had her highest placement finishing 4th in the all-around at the 2014 World Championships. She is also a recipient of the Talent Medal of Korea in 2011.

Athletic career

Son began gymnastics at a young age to help her lose weight. In 2009, she performed for the opening ceremony of Olympic and World figure skater, Kim Yuna's Fiesta on Ice. Son became a star in Korea, similarly as Olympic champion Kim Yuna, after grabbing a medal in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, becoming the first Korean gymnast to do so. Soon after that, she went to Russia for long-term training.

Son Yeon-jae made her senior international debut at the 2010 Kalamata World Cup where she finished 12th in all-around. Then she competed at Corbeil-Essonnes International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament in May 2010 and placed 11th in all-around.^[7] At the 2010 World Championships, she placed 32nd in the individual all-around and did not advance into the finals.^[8] At the 2011 Grand Prix, she placed 19th in the individual overall with the total score of 100.700 points.^[9]

At the Grand Prix series held in February 2012, she tied for the 18th place^[10] with Wong Poh San with the total score of 100.850 in the individual overall and third in the Hoop final.^[11] In April 2012, Son became the first Korean rhythmic gymnast to medal at the World Cup Series, Category B by winning a bronze medal in the Hoop final in Penza, Russia, and placed fourth in the individual overall.^[12] In May 2012, she finished last in the Hoop final at the World Cup Series, Category B in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and placed fifth overall.^[8] Son finished second to last in the individual all-around at the World Cup Series, Category A in Sofia, Bulgaria.^[13]

2012 Olympics

Son placed 6th at the Qualifications. At the All-around finals, She was ranked 3rd in the rankings up to the 2nd rotation until a drop from her Clubs scored her a 26.750 points. Son placed 5th overall at the Finals with a score of 111.475 points. Son became the first Korean Rhythmic Gymnast to qualify and reach the All-around Finals at the Olympics.

2013–present

In 2013, Son started her season competing at the 2013 Moscow Grand Prix where she won bronze in clubs, she competed at the 2013 Lisboa World Cup where she finished 9th in all-around and won bronze in ribbon. On 30 April 2013, Son got a silver medal in the ribbon finals at the 2013 Pesaro World Cup, it was the first time a Korean athlete won a silver medal at any discipline of a rhythmic gymnastic World Cup.^[14] Son finished 4th in all-around at the 2013 Sofia World Cup and shared the bronze medal in hoop with Ukrainian Ganna Rizatdinova. Son then competed at the 2013 Minsk World Cup where she finished 4th in all-around, at the event finals, she took the silver medals in hoop and in clubs who was tied with Russian rising star Yana Kudryavtseva, she finished 4th in ribbon and 7th in ball. Son competed at the 2013 Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan where she became the first Korean rhythmic gymnast to win gold in the all-around, she also helped Team Korea win the silver medal. At the finals, Son won gold in hoop and clubs, she won silver in ribbon behind China's Deng Senyue and finished 4th in ball. She competed at the 2013 Summer Universiade where she finished 6th in all-around, she qualified to 3 event finals where she won silver in ball, placed 5th in clubs and 7th in ribbon. At the 2013 World Cup Final in St.Petersburg, Russia, Son finished 4th in all-around and in the event finals won silver in hoop, bronze in ribbon, placed 4th in clubs and ball. At the 2013 World Championships in Kiev, Ukraine, Son qualified to 3 event finals where she finished 7th in hoop, ball and 6th in clubs behind Deng Senyue. She finished 5th in the All-around at the 2013 World Championships again behind Chinese rival Deng Senyue who finished 4th.

Son at the 2014 L.G. Whisen All-Star gala

In 2014, Son began her season competing at the 2014 Moscow Grand Prix finishing 6th in the all-around, at the event finals she won bronze medals in ribbon, clubs and hoop. Son then competed at the 2014 Stuttgart World Cup finishing 7th in All-around, she qualified to 3 event finals: she took silver in ribbon, placed 8th in ball and 5th in hoop.^[15] Son won her first gold medal in the World Cup at the 2014 Lisbon World Cup becoming the first Asian and Korean rhythmic gymnast to win and medal in the All-around. She scored a total of 71.200 points ahead of Melitina Staniouta (silver) and World Cup debutante Dina Averina (bronze). In the event finals, Son became the first Asian and Korean rhythmic gymnast to win 3 gold medals (in ball, clubs, ribbon) and won bronze in hoop behind Staniouta and Maria Titova.^[16] She followed with her next event at the 2014 Pesaro World Cup, where Son finished 5th in all-around and won silver in clubs and bronze in ball final. In 30 May – 1 June, Son competed at the 2014 Minsk World Cup and finished 10th in all-around, she qualified to 3 event finals and won a silver in hoop, bronze in ribbon.^[17] In 8–10 August, Son competed at the 2014 Sofia World Cup and won the all-around bronze medal with a total of 70.250 points. She qualified to 4 event finals: taking 2 bronze medals (in hoop, ball), 4th in clubs and 5th in ribbon. In 5–7 September, competing at the 2014 World Cup Final in Kazan, Russia, Son finished 5th in the all-around behind Katsiaryna Halkina with a total of 69.750 points. She qualified to 3 event finals taking bronze in hoop, placed 5th in ball and 6th in clubs.^[18] In 22–27 September, Son represented Korea at the 2014 World Championships, she qualified to 4 event finals, where she won bronze medal in hoop (where she became the first Korean rhythmic gymnast to win a medal at the World Championships, placed 4th in clubs, 5th in ribbon and ball. In the All-around finals, Son finished 4th with a total score of 70.933 points^[19] and came on top among the Asian participants, beating her Chinese rival Deng Senyue, who finished 5th by a margin of 1.167 points.^[20] Son then flew to her home country in Incheon, Korea for the 2014 Asian Games where she won the gold medal becoming the first Korean to win rhythmic gymnastics in the Asian Games. Son was named the best athlete of the year 42 percent of the votes ahead of Kim Yuna with 33.3 percent votes^[21] and was awarded the MBN Women Sports Award 2014 in Seoul.

In 2015, Son withdrew from her first scheduled event at the 2015 Moscow Grand Prix citing illness. In 27–29 March, Son returned to competition at the 2015 Lisboa World Cup finishing 4th in the all-around, in event finals: she won silver in hoop, placed 5th (clubs, ball) and 6th (ribbon). She then competed at the 2015 Bucharest World Cup finishing 4th in all-around, she withdrew from the apparatus finals after suffering an ankle injury. In 22–24 May, Son returned to competition at the 2015 Tashkent World Cup where she won the all-around bronze behind Russians Margarita Mamun (gold) and Aleksandra Soldatova (silver). She qualified to all 4 apparatus finals, taking bronze in hoop, placed 7th in ball, 8th in clubs and 6th in ribbon. In 10–13 June, Son won the all-around gold at the 2015 Asian Championships held in Jecheon, South Korea, she qualified to all event finals taking gold in hoop, ball, a bronze in ribbon and finished 5th in clubs. Her next competition was at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, Korea were Son won the all-around gold ahead of Ganna Rizatdinova (silver ) and Melitina Staniouta (bronze). Son qualified to all apparatus finals taking gold in hoop, ball and silver in clubs, ribbon.^[22] In August, Son competed at the 2015 Sofia World Cup finishing 5th in the all-around behind Melitina Staniouta of Belarus. Son qualified to all apparatus finals finishing 4th in (ball, clubs, ribbon) and 5th in hoop. At the 2015 World Cup Final, Son finished 5th in the all-around behind Staniouta. Son qualified to 4 apparatus finals, taking bronze in hoop and finishing 4th in ball, 5th in ribbon, 6th in clubs. In September 9–13, Son competed at the 2015 World Championships in Stuttgart, she qualified to all 4 apparatus finals finishing 5th in Hoop, 4th in Ball, 8th in Clubs and 5th in Ribbon. In the All-around final, Son made mistakes in the ribbon performance, she had trouble controlling the ribbon, had tangles, a drop and lost a dance step, which resulted in her poor 16.116 points and in her last performance in ball, she made another mistake by dropping the ball while rolling it on her back scoring 17.483. Son finished 11th overall with a total of 69.998 points, behind Bulgarian Neviana Vladinova.^[23]

Achievements

Son at the 2012 Summer Olympics

• first Korean rhythmic gymnast to win a medal at the World Championships (at the 2014 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships)
• first Asian and Korean rhythmic gymnast to win gold in the All-around at the World Cup series.
• first Korean rhythmic gymnast to win gold in the World Cup series ( at the 2014 Lisbon World Cup).
• first Korean rhythmic gymnast to win the Asian Championships
• first Korean and second Asian gymnast after Aliya Yussupova to win 2 medals in a single World Cup Final
• first Korean rhythmic gymnast to win Gold at the Asian Games All-around (at the 2014 Asian Games)

Variety shows

Son appeared on two episodes 109 and 110 of SBS's variety show "Running Man" hosted by the "Nation's MC" Yoo Jae-suk together with athlete Park Tae-hwan. She has also since appeared in episode 130 of KBS 2TV's variety show "Win Win", sharing about her hardships and struggles while training for competitions. Son also participated in episode 296 and episode 350 of MBC's variety show "Infinity Challenge", also hosted by MC Yoo Jae-suk. While on Happy Together, Son revealed her good impressions towards popular Chinese swimmer Ning Zetao.

Routine music information

Son's gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games

Detailed Olympic results

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Son Yeon-Jae.

• Son Yeon-Jae at Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique
• Son Yeon-jae on Twitter
• Son Yeon-jae on Instagram
• Rhythmic Gymnastics Results