Omega awards Olympic edition watches to first Korean gold medalists

Fencer Oh Sang-uk and shooter Oh Ye-jin are this year’s recipients of Omega watches given to Korean athletes who win the first gold medals at the Olympic Games.

Omega's Paris Olympics edition of its ″Seamaster Diver 300,″ left, and "Speedmaster Chronoscope" watches will be given to fencer Oh Sang-uk and shooter Oh Ye-jin for being the first individual gold medalists in this year's Summer Games. [OMEGA]

Fencer Oh Sang-uk and shooter Oh Ye-jin are this year’s recipients of Omega watches given to athletes who win the first gold medals at the Olympic Games.

Watchmaker Omega, the official timekeeper and sponsor of the Olympic Games, has been giving out the prize to Korean athletes since the 2012 London Olympics. While not done at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, watches have been given out for the 2014 Sochi, 2016 Rio and 2022 Beijing Games, making Paris the fifth time the watches have been awarded. “We have decided to present two watches produced to commemorate the Paris Olympics to a total of two individual athletes — one male and one female — who win the first gold medals for the Korean national team,” the Swiss luxury brand said prior to the start of the Paris Olympics, explaining the criteria for the prize at this edition of the Games.

The two timepieces are the Speedmaster Chronoscope and Seamaster Diver 300M. According to Omega’s website, the watches cost $9,800 and $8,900, respectively. Both have the words “Paris 2024” and the Olympic logo inscribed on the back.

Oh Sang-uk won Korea’s first gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday by beating Tunisia’s Fares Ferjani 15-11 in the men's individual sabre final. On the same day, Oh Ye-jin, who made her debut at this year’s games, won gold in the women’s 10-meter air pistol by scoring 243.2 points – an Olympic record.

The previous recipients of the Omega watches were shooter Jin Jong-oh in 2012; speed skater Lee Sang-hwa in 2014; the male archery team in 2016; and short track speed skaters Hwang Dae-heon and Choi Min-jeong in 2022.

BY HAN JEE-HYE, KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]