Olympic Hero's SHOCK Move! What's Next for Won Yun-jong?

Olympic bobsleigh medalist Won Yun-jong is clearly no stranger to a demanding race, and now he's gearing up for what might be his toughest campaign yet: a bid for a spot on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission. Forget hurtling down icy tracks at breakneck speeds; this time, Won's endurance will be tested on a completely different kind of course.

Olympic Hero's SHOCK Move! What's Next for Won Yun...

Speaking at the Olympic delegation launch ceremony in Seoul on Thursday, Won emphasized his commitment. "When it comes to stamina and conditioning, I am pretty confident," he stated. His strategy? Good old-fashioned legwork. "I want to be the first candidate going into the athletes' village to meet the Olympians every day and be the last one leaving. I want to meet as many athletes in person as I can and listen to what they have to say." It’s a classic, grassroots approach, and honestly, it's refreshing to see.

The competition is stiff. Won is one of eleven athletes vying for just two spots on the Commission during the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, scheduled for February 6-22. The two victors, representing different sports, will fill the vacancies left by outgoing members Emma Terho and Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen. The IOC has announced that voting will take place from January 30, when the athletes' villages open, until February 18, with the results revealed on February 19, just days before the closing ceremony.

Won, who piloted the Korean four-man bobsleigh team to a historic silver medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, hopes to become the third Korean elected to the Athletes' Commission. He would be following in the footsteps of 2004 Olympic taekwondo champion Moon Dae-sung and 2004 Olympic table tennis gold medalist Ryu Seung-min, the current president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. That's some pretty significant legacy to live up to.

The Milan-Cortina Games are already shaping up to be a logistical marathon in themselves. Spanning over a whopping 22,000 square kilometers, they will be the most geographically dispersed Olympics in history. With events spread across multiple clusters for ice sports, snow events, and sliding races, not to mention opening and closing ceremonies in different cities, simply getting around will be an athletic feat. Won readily acknowledges this challenge.

Anticipating the constant travel between clusters, Won plans to pack not one, not two, but three pairs of running shoes. "I think even those three pairs may not be enough," he joked with a smile. "But I will be going all over the place to meet the Olympians, to the point where my shoes will be worn out." It's a clever visual, and it drives home his point about being committed to the grind.

When asked about what he believes will resonate with voters, Won kept it simple. "It will all come from the heart." In the end, genuine connection and a demonstrated commitment to representing athletes' interests may be the most powerful strategy of all. Time will tell if Won's dedication translates into a seat on the IOC Athletes' Commission.