‘Emperor’ is a title reserved for the strongest in the world of sports. The title is given to athletes whose skills, performance, and charisma are so overwhelming that there is no one to compare them to.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, two emperors will be competing for the title. Esports’ Lee “Faker” Sang-hyuk (27, T1) and breaking’s Kim “Wing” Hun-woo (36, Jinjokru).
Esports and breaking were included in the Hangzhou Asian Games for the first time ever. Breaking, in particular, will be an official sport at the Paris 2024 Olympics. South Korea is a strong favorite to win both events, thanks to its “emperors” Lee Sang-hyuk and Kim Hun-woo.
Lee is a living legend in esports League of Legends (LoL), where he is known as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). He has won the League of Legends World Championship, also known as the “Rold Cup,” three times and the Mid-Season Invitational twice, making him the most decorated international player to date.
He is a “veteran” who hasn’t lost any of his skills in his late 20s, a rare feat in the short-lived esports industry.
T1’s Lee “Faker” Sang-hyuk checks his equipment before the start of the semifinal match of the 2023 LCK Summer Final at the Daejeon Convention Center 2 Exhibition Hall in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, on March 19. Yonhap News
Lee’s strength is his breadth of champions. He can handle most of the 160-odd champions in LoL, but he is especially known for his mastery of Galio, Ari, Azir, Rise, LeBlanc, and Twisted Fate, which are often used by mid laners.
Lee is already a legend in his own right, but he has a bitter taste in his mouth from the Asian Games. At the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang AG, where esports was a demonstration sport, he competed under the Taeguk-mark, but only managed a silver medal behind China.
At this year’s Asian Games, China is competing with South Korea for the gold medal. “It’s hard to say how good the Chinese team will be because we haven’t played against them, but what’s clear is that we’re good enough to win,” Lee Sang-hyuk said after a LoL national team trial match against Chinese Taipei on the 12th.
Kim “Wing” Heon-woo, the artistic director of b-boy team Jinjo Crew, is a legend in Korean breaking and a self-proclaimed b-boy legend with over 100 career wins.
Kim “Wing” Hun-woo performs with the b-boy team Jinjo Crew. He will be representing South Korea in Breaking at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the first time it has been included as an official sport. Kim Hun-woo Instagram
During his career with Jinjo Crew, Kim has won all five of breaking dance’s major competitions, including Red Bull B-C One (2008), British B-Boy Championships (2011), Battle of the Year (2010, 2018), Freestyle Session (2011), and R16 Korea (2010-2012).
Kim’s signatures are Two Thousand (2000) and Wingmill. Wingmill is a variation of the windmill that Kim developed in his own style. Whereas the traditional windmill is performed with the shoulders and back on the ground and the legs lifted and spinning, Kim crouches down and spins his entire body – shoulders, back, head, and arms – alternately.
The two-sided handstand is a technique that involves standing in a handstand, holding the shaft with one hand and spinning quickly with the other hand around the wrist of the shaft hand, and Kim is known for his speed and volume of rotation.
At the Asian Games, Shigekix of Japan and Amir of Kazakhstan are expected to compete with Kim for the gold medal. Kim rehearsed for the Hangzhou Asian Games in July. He won gold at the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) Asian Breaking Championships in Hangzhou, China.스포츠토토
“As a dancer, I’ve been proud to represent my country for a long time, and I feel the same way as an athlete,” Kim said, adding, “I will definitely win a gold medal for my country.”