Andy Jung Interview

We're back to bring you another interview in the lead up to the 2018 Winter Olympics as we speak with Australian Short-Track Speed Skater Andy Jung! Andy chats up his chances for the games and why he's in hot form in the hope to win Australia's first medal in the sport since 2002. He also talks about which athletes are the worst when it comes to being physical, why he doesn't necessarily stick to his strict diet during training and gives us some extremely unique and thoughtful answers during our final set of questions.

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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Please note this is an automated transcript that may contain errors.

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BEN WATERWORTH: Welcome back everybody to Off The Podium, An Olympics Podcast. It's been a while since you've heard our voices, but you knew that we were going to start talking to you again very, very soon, because we are now less than four weeks, basically three weeks away from the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. So you know things are about to get busy for us here on the show. And before we get to a big preview episode, before we talk up what we're going to be doing across the course of the Olympic Games, we've got a couple of interviews that we've actually got lined up for you. And these are interviews of Olympians who will be competing during these games. The first one today that I'm going to bring to you is an Australian short track speed skater by the name of Andy Jung. Now Andy, originally from Korea, narrowly missed out on the 2014 Games in Sochi and trained his butt off basically to get back on the team for the first time where he will be competing in his very first Olympics for Australia. So we're very much excited to be able to have him on the show. Now, just a pre-warning here though, this interview actually went for about 50 minutes, but sadly, the first 20 or so minutes of this did not record. So it's going to sound like we're literally picking this up in the middle of an interview because we pretty much are. So apologies here that you're not going to be hearing a little bit about his training regime, sort of getting selected to the game, sort of what was it like growing up in Korea with the sport, then obviously coming here to Australia to compete for it, and also some fun stuff involved about the physical nature of short track speed skating, how important the likes of Stephen Bradbury is to him and kind of going into these games, and the confidence that he has going into it. He finished very high in the World Championships last year, 12th, finished in the top 10 in the world at the end of the World Cup season, 58th to be precise. So Andy, a very good shot of winning a medal for Australia during the games, which will be our first medal in the sport, a short track speed skating, since that famous Stephen Bradbury goal back in 2002. So Andy, very confident that he can medal during the games. His speciality is the 500 metres, which will actually be basically on the second last day of the games. His first event, the 1500 metres, will be on the very first day of competition of the game. So he's got a very big spread in terms of where he will be competing. And in the part that wasn't recorded, sadly, he did mention kind of how that is as an athlete in terms of psychologically and the training and kind of whether or not he will get sort of taken up by the games and sort of the atmosphere. Everything on his mind will be focused on competition. Eight hours worth of training a day, both on ice and off ice, and talked a little bit about that kind of regime before we obviously got the actual recording part of it. And you will hear actually from him, I think, believe this picks up, just as he's talking about competitors that do get a little bit chubby, because if you've ever watched short track speed skating, it can get quite physical when you're trying to overtake and push athletes aside. So he mentions here an athlete from the Netherlands who is renowned for it, so we need to keep an eye on throughout the games, and that's kind of where it will pick up. And we do bring back a segment that we did sort of have during the Rio Games, and also throughout our athlete interviews that we've had across the way. So you are going to hear my interview right here with Andy Jung, Australian short track speed skater who will be competing at the Pyeongchang Games in less than four weeks' time. It's a fun interview, and we very much really hope you enjoy what we are about to hear, at least the half part of what you will hear of this interview.

ANDY JUNG: He's in second, but because of that lunge, he bit me a few times and he kind of gives me like little elbows. So, I guess I said the name.

BEN WATERWORTH: Yes, I heard it, so that was Shinky from the Netherlands. Remember that name, Australia. I just wanted to clarify that for those at home who might not have heard that. Shinky from the Netherlands. I mean, it's seriously entertaining. And I mean, I remember, you know, when Australia won our first ever Winter Olympics medal in 94 was, of course, in short track in the relay. And, you know, it was always a sport that I enjoyed watching. And, you know, I have no athletic ability at all, Andy. So, you know, the only time I ever get to compete in the Olympics is generally on the PlayStation or the Nintendo. And I generally would always love playing the short track on the Winter Sports games across the time. So, I mean, that's again, I was like, why do interviews? Because I've actually lived my Olympic dreams through you guys. Just, I mean, on the training, one thing that we kind of like to ask a bit on the show too is, I mean, do you have a special diet? I mean, is that kind of something you have to monitor as well coming into the games? And then as soon as the games are done, do you just like go to McDonald's and just like chow down on like 50 Big Macs? Or something like that?

ANDY JUNG: I would just say, yes, I have nutritionist, and then I have diet, but I don't follow it.

BEN WATERWORTH: Right. I like the honesty.

ANDY JUNG: I guess it's good to follow, but, you know, your mental have to be happy and then, you know, to be healthy, your mental have to be healthy and then, you know, if you just eat whatever you want, like if it's tasty, you get happy. So I guess, yeah, I'll go with that rather than having like strict diet.

BEN WATERWORTH: Safe answer. I like that. That works. Do you, so kind of you mentioned you're going to Korea, obviously, what, nine days or so time and sort of getting prepared. Is it, I know kind of given that you're competing basically on day ones and pretty much the day after the opening ceremony, I know in particularly the Summer Olympics, there are some athletes who won't march in the opening ceremony because they're competing the next day. They're focused on competition. Do you plan on marching in the opening ceremony? Is that something that kind of what the Australian Olympic Committee will ask you? I mean, what's kind of the methods around that?

ANDY JUNG: To be honest, I haven't really thought about it, but I would love to go. But I will talk to my coach and then if he, if he will affect my performance then I'm not going to go because like I don't want to make anything like getting my way to compete and I want to obviously do my best.

BEN WATERWORTH: You want to be completely focused obviously on that on that first day, which is, you know, it's a first day. I mean, that's that's the thing like, you know, my dreams are to me half the experience would be getting to work at walk out in that opening ceremony. But you know, I can I can definitely obviously see that. Yeah, as you said, you want to be focused on that. Um, just just beg your coach. Just be like, please, I'll stick to my nutritional regime. Like it won't affect me. It's only the 1500 metres. You know, I'm better at the 500. Like, come on. Well, trying to help you out there. Just say the podcast host that interviewed me a couple weeks ago said I could please.

ANDY JUNG: I would not go to McDonald's for like two days.

BEN WATERWORTH: Yes, exactly. Two days without Big Macs. I promise you, I promise, promise, promise you. Look at this. We're trying to help our Olympians heading into 2018. I'm sure if Channel 7 interviews, it's going to be all these serious questions about, oh, how this is great, right? Oh, but that guy on the podcast, he's asking me about like cheating on McDonald's and, you know, getting pushing people out of the way. Yeah, I'm just trying to trying to, you know, establish this, because we've also been trying to say, Andy, that when you win the gold medal, because it's not going to be an if, it's going to be a when you win the gold medal. We obviously very much expect you to thank us in your first interview that you will do probably with Channel 7. Sadly, we're not going to be there. We didn't quite get the tickets, Andy, to the games. But when you get interviewed after your gold medal, we do expect you to thank Off The Podium. That's kind of a condition of doing an interview with us here on the podcast today. So I hope you know that.

ANDY JUNG: I'll obviously say it. I might mumble, but I'll obviously say it because I'm so excited.

BEN WATERWORTH: Mumbling is fine. Mumbling is fine. We try to do that a fair bit here on the show. But as long as we can make out the words Off The Podium, that's fine. You mentioned obviously with your family growing up with the sport itself, so all your family, your friends are heading to Korea to watch you compete as well during the Olympics?

ANDY JUNG: My mum and my sister is in Korea right now, and they are going to come to watch me during the Olympic season. My family and friends, they live in Korea, obviously because we are from Korea, so we have connections in Korea, so they are coming from there. And obviously, they are living in Korea right now, so we have like six tickets.

BEN WATERWORTH: Six tickets, so you got a few there. I mean, I guess, you know, get them to hold up like a Big Mac or something at the finish line and be like, this is yours if you win gold or something like that. Do you think that, I mean, again, we're picturing you winning the gold, and so what, there's as if four or five of you in the final, am I, when it comes to it. Hypothetically, we get to the final and let's say no Koreans, no home crowd people for the Koreans to cheer for. Given your heritage, do you believe then that the Koreans would jump on board of you because you are, you know, born in Korea, so therefore they can at least have somebody to cheer for? I hope so, I mean, it's a weird question to ask Andy, but I'm just trying to think here that like it could work to your favour because again, sadly, I don't know when we will get the Winter Olympics in Australia. So, I mean, you know, I'm trying to get you a home crowd advantage here.

ANDY JUNG: Well, I hope they'll hate me and they hopefully cheer for me because my name is Korean.

BEN WATERWORTH: There you go. See, they just might, they just might hear the name. Oh, cool, Korean guy. Awesome. Wicked, we're cheering for him. So, look, I'm really hoping that's definitely going to be the case. One thing I want to do here though for you, Andy, is we actually, during our Rio coverage a year and a half ago, we had a lot of fun because one of our co-hosts on the show is Canadian. And we had a lot of fun on the Canadian Olympic website. They had a question and answer for their athletes, basically, you know, before the Rio Games. And when we've had athletes on the show since Rio, sort of post Rio and then in the lead up here to Pyeongchang, we've asked our athletes questions from this website. Now, I've actually just discovered here that on the Canadian website, they've actually started the same series of questions for their athletes about to compete during the upcoming games. So these could be new questions that we might not have asked before. So these are random. The questioner is called My Name Is. So this one here that I'm basing this off is from Kaylee Humphries, a Canadian bobsledder. Say hi to Kaylee if you happen to bump into her in the Athletes Village. So we're going to start off here. It simply says, Hello, my name is, so your name is Andy Jung. I'm a Canadian. Well, you're Australian. So the first question here for you, Andy, is what is your favourite Olympic moment? Do you have a favourite Olympic moment that you can remember?

ANDY JUNG: Of me or of someone else?

BEN WATERWORTH: Just, I guess, of watching the Olympics growing up. I mean, do you have sort of a memory or a moment that you particularly enjoyed the most?

ANDY JUNG: Well, Brodberry.

BEN WATERWORTH: Typical. That's a good answer. And I want to say typical. That's the answer that all Australians should have in that one. I like it. Here's a sort of a non-Olympic question. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

ANDY JUNG: Well, that, I'll say, if I can hit every ball that in baseball sport, if I could hit everything to home run, I'll get paid so much.

BEN WATERWORTH: You would. And that's coming back to the Olympics.

ANDY JUNG: Every day?

BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, that's coming back to the Olympics in 2020. So you could be a summer and a winter Olympian. There you go. You can win Australia gold in baseball. Done.

ANDY JUNG: Oh, that's good. I hope that happens.

BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah. Lock it in. Listen, AOC, if you're listening, once we're done in Pyeongchang, get him on the baseball team. Done. Simple. What is your favourite sports movie?

ANDY JUNG: Sports movie.

BEN WATERWORTH: Hmm.

ANDY JUNG: Sports movie. Movie. Let's see. I'm sorry, I'm just searching Google right now.

BEN WATERWORTH: I like it, I like it, guess, dude, you know, like they go for... I like your creative thinking. Such a build up to this answer, I love it.

ANDY JUNG: You know the boxing movie? Oh god, what is it?

BEN WATERWORTH: Rocky?

ANDY JUNG: Oh, what's the name? It's a... One sec.

BEN WATERWORTH: You're so committed to this question, I love it.

ANDY JUNG: Oh, just... you know, I have to answer the best question, I mean... I have to answer with the best answer.

BEN WATERWORTH: See, this is why you're gonna win gold, Andy. It's like you just... you accept nothing but winning. So, this is great.

ANDY JUNG: What is this? A boxing movie. It's like...

BEN WATERWORTH: The only one I can think of is Rocky, or what, Million Dollar Baby, or, um, God.

ANDY JUNG: Is Million Dollar Baby good?

BEN WATERWORTH: I think so, I've seen bits of it. I'm just gonna say yes. Yeah, Million Dollar Baby.

ANDY JUNG: Yeah, it's the best movie.

BEN WATERWORTH: Great movie, loved it. Just watched it just before I started the interview. You know, I just wanted to watch it again. Do you have your favourite pump up song? So like, do you pump the tunes out before you hit the ice? Do you have something that really gets you going, ready to go?

ANDY JUNG: Well, I just listen to anything like it just pops on. So I would just say Shipping Off To Boston.

BEN WATERWORTH: Oh, good chance. Just go kick Murphy's.

ANDY JUNG: Yes.

BEN WATERWORTH: Yes, that is very pumped up. I like that sort of the music in it. That's a good one. What is the most recent TV show that you binge watched?

ANDY JUNG: Wow, that's like the hardest question. I actually don't watch TV because I was watching Netflix. I would say Walking Dead.

BEN WATERWORTH: Walking Dead. Good one. If you weren't an athlete, what would you be?

ANDY JUNG: I will be a uni student, trying to be a doctor because I was, I mean, my parents are Asian, and they always want me to be a doctor, lawyer, everything. So I guess I'll be one of the students wanting to be a doctor.

BEN WATERWORTH: Perfect. The only doctor that I will know that's an Olympic gold medallist. So that will be something to show off to your patients. Hi, can I check your heart rate? Oh, sorry, that's not my stethoscope. That's my Olympic gold medal. Just let me put that to the side.

ANDY JUNG: Oh, wow.

BEN WATERWORTH: That's just me. That's what I would do. What do people usually describe you as?

ANDY JUNG: Describe me as?

BEN WATERWORTH: So this Kayleigh has written intense. People describe her as intense. So is there something that, you know, competitive? I know cheating on food.

ANDY JUNG: Well, weird.

BEN WATERWORTH: Weird? Weird?

ANDY JUNG: No, weird is good.

BEN WATERWORTH: That's wrong with weird. They're all good words. They're all common words. I hear about myself too, Andy. So we're in the same club. I like that.

ANDY JUNG: If you...

BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, good. Weird. I'm locking it in. If you could be an Olympian, you might have already answered this one. If you could be an Olympian in any other sport besides short track, so besides your own, what would it be?

ANDY JUNG: Well, just one second.

BEN WATERWORTH: Are you going to Google this too?

ANDY JUNG: Most paid Olympic sport.

BEN WATERWORTH: Oh, this is brilliant. Yes. That is a cleverest answer. Probably going to be like basketball or something, wouldn't it? I mean, Lebron James plays in the Olympics, doesn't he?

ANDY JUNG: Well, anything that just makes a lot of money, I'll be happy with.

BEN WATERWORTH: Well, all the endorsements you're getting after your double gold, we will say, Pyeongchang, you're going to have Nike knocking on the door, I don't know, Weet Bix holding. Weet Bix. I'm just thinking of the Australian companies that will have you.

ANDY JUNG: Life support for Vegemite.

BEN WATERWORTH: Absolutely. Happy little Vegemite. You can start the song up again. There you are skating along the ice. And as you cross the finish line, you're reaching out with your skate. And just as you cross the line, someone hands you a piece of Vegemite toast, you bite it, and you cross the line a little bit faster. Done. Vegemite. Absolutely brilliant. I love it. We're trying to sell this world. This is why, you know, if Vegemite are listening, any companies that are out there listening, you know, Andy is your man. Two-time Olympic gold medallist in about a month's time. You've heard it here first. I love your creativity in answering these. Do you have a favourite song lyric? I know we've already said your pump up song. So is there a lyric in shipping out to Boston that always gets you going? Is there a lyric in another song that you just love? It kind of gets you pumped up. Google this by all means.

ANDY JUNG: Well... Inspiration song lyrics.

BEN WATERWORTH: I actually couldn't even tell you the lyrics.

ANDY JUNG: I lost my leg.

BEN WATERWORTH: There we go.

ANDY JUNG: I've lost my leg. My sport uses... It just uses some leg anyway, so I lost my leg.

BEN WATERWORTH: There you go. It's fitting. Perfect. I like it. And a final one here. You might have answered this. You kind of seem like you like McDonald's, but what is your guilty pleasure?

ANDY JUNG: Guilty pleasure. Well, go to Maccas, get a thick shake, get a milkshake.

BEN WATERWORTH: What flavour? What flavour are we thinking of the milkshake?

ANDY JUNG: Chocolate.

BEN WATERWORTH: I'm thinking chocolate right now. Chocolate shake, a cheeseburger. So every time I go to McDonald's, Andy...

ANDY JUNG: Are we on McFlurry?

BEN WATERWORTH: McFlurry, good answer. So what you're saying basically is every time I order myself a cheeseburger, a McFlurry and a chocolate shake from McDonald's, I can say that I'm eating like an Olympian.

ANDY JUNG: Yeah.

BEN WATERWORTH: Cool, great.

ANDY JUNG: Maccas is like, it's a sponsor from Olympics, so...

BEN WATERWORTH: It is. Don't they have McDonald's in the Olympic Village?

ANDY JUNG: Yeah, it's free. Oh, wow.

BEN WATERWORTH: Okay, reasons to become an Olympian. You get free McDonald's in the Athletes' Village. That's it. Like, gold medals. Who cares? Free Big Macs.

ANDY JUNG: I'm actually very sad because, you know, like, I have to race from the day one until, like, at the end. So, I can't really go to Maccas. That's, like, the saddest point.

BEN WATERWORTH: Closing ceremony.

ANDY JUNG: You were there.

BEN WATERWORTH: You were there from 6am on the day of the closing ceremony. Everyone's all like, yeah, the party mode, yeah, great. And you're just like, fuck you all. I'm lining up, day one. I'm needing my McDonald's. I'm getting my two weeks worth of free McDonald's in one day.

ANDY JUNG: You know, I can't, like, 10 kilos in, like, two days, so... Well, if I retire after this season, that's why.

BEN WATERWORTH: You've got four more years to Beijing. I mean, come on, like, you know, you've got some 10 kilos, you can lose that. You're in a professional athlete, you know, come on.

ANDY JUNG: Ah, it's so hard. Well, I guess, like, it's good that I'm an athlete, so that I can eat everything, and, well, I guess, maintain the weight, or I would just be a, like, really fat Asian boy walking on the street with Big Mac, so... Or having, like, a Chinese takeaway, walking down the street carefully, eating noodles, you know?

BEN WATERWORTH: Yep, this is just, this is great. And, like, as we said, given that when Australia does eventually host the Winter Olympics, and we do add that sort of physicality to the sport of short track speed skating, you know, if you bulk up a little bit, you know, you're a bit pudgy, that's gonna make it better for you when you're, like, sort of nudging, you know, what was his name, Schincky, from the Netherlands and all these other sort of people like that along the way. So, you know, you've got to think about strategy for that. You've got to think about strategy for the future in the sport, Andy.

ANDY JUNG: Yeah, I'll try that, yeah. Yeah, good. Maybe I should try that, yeah. Do it.

BEN WATERWORTH: I mean, you know, you're mentioning that they're a bit chubby and you're known for it a little bit, but, like, surely they can't disqualify you for impeding if it's just a body part, like, if a, you know, like a stray bit of fat wobbles off your suit. Like, that's not you impeding, that's just a part of your body. That would be my issue, that's if I became a short track speed skater. A, would I fit into the suit? Probably not. And B, when it comes to the shoving side of things, you can't disqualify me if a piece of my body hits someone. I'm not doing it deliberately, it's just how gravity works.

ANDY JUNG: Hmm, yeah, so true.

BEN WATERWORTH: I like this strategic idea.

ANDY JUNG: Maybe you try to nudge me, I'm just like, just standing still, so, then I fall over. I'm just like bouncing, bouncing ball.

BEN WATERWORTH: I can't wait to watch the Olympics in a couple of weeks to see when you are interviewed by Channel 7, and you have like the most serious questions put to you and just, you know, getting ready for competition. And people realise that this interview exists, where we've talked you up, and then also talked about putting on weight to knock people off with fat rolls. That's generally how short track speed skating works in our month. You're off the podium. Andy, can I just say, it has been an absolute pleasure, mate, having you here on the show again. We really appreciate your time, particularly so close to the games, given they are, you know, three or so weeks away. We sincerely wish you the best. We're going to be keeping a very close eye on how you go in the games. And all of Australia, of course, will be cheering for you and hoping that you can bring home those medals and, you know, add to the collection that Stephen Bradbury owns, because, you know, he won a gold and a bronze, you can win the two gold, and you can go back to Stephen and say, Sup, Stephen, I see your, you know, golden bronze and raise your two gold. How about that?

ANDY JUNG: Man, I wish. In a few years, too, I'll be winning medals. Yes.

BEN WATERWORTH: But in all seriousness, mate, we really do appreciate your time here on the show today. And yeah, best of luck for the games in only a few weeks.

ANDY JUNG: Thank you. I hope everything goes well to you, too.

BEN WATERWORTH: And a big thanks to Andy once again. We are looking very much forward to seeing how we compete. Now Andy actually did mention to me off air, as we ended that interview, that if he rubs his stomach on the start line, it's a signal to us that he's had McDonald's and is ready to go. So for those at home who watch this, if you see Andy Jung rub his stomach on the start line, that is a signal to us here and off the podium. So you've heard it here first, we might have a signal by an athlete during the Olympics that that is gonna be happening. So we will get Andy on the show post-games to see how he went. We'll obviously know how he went, but obviously to catch up and find out how everything went along those lines. And very much looking forward to seeing how this is all going to play out for Andy Jung, of course, during these games. Now we do have another interview planned for you in the coming days, which we are very much looking forward to. And that's with Kalania Crane. Now, Kalania, Kalani, sorry, is a figure skater who will be competing for Australia, the Australian champion, actually, to be precise. And we hope to chat to her about what she's feeling, because we spoke to Brennan Carey last year about figure skating. So she'll be our second figure skater that we've mentioned, at least talked to. And of course, given some of the attention that's on figure skating at the moment, I, Tonya, which is out in cinemas, it'll be interesting to speak to her about kind of going into the games and everything else in between. She's a bit of a social media star, is Kalani. So, you know, she's got a bit of a profile out there, and we're looking forward to chatting to her about the sport and her hopes, obviously, for the games. So stay tuned for that. Colin has a potential couple of others that are lined up. But given that we are this close to the games, obviously, we realise most of these athletes' thoughts and mental prowess right now is focused on the Olympic Games. So therefore, the interviews might not exactly happen. But Jarrod, Colin, and myself will be back to preview the Winter Olympics very soon. And of course, we're planning to bring you daily coverage, just like we did during Rio. So stay tuned for that. We're very, very, very excited. You know, I love the Winter Olympics. Colin's obviously going to be happy that Canada will be winning shit, and Jarrod will just be happy that Australia might win a bronze or two. I don't know. We'll obviously talk up our chances. One thing I will say, I just mentioned about Itonia. Now, we have done a review or what we're calling a rev cap. It's sort of halfway between a review and a recap on our sister show, The Oz Network. It is Winter Olympics Month on The Oz Network. So we're doing four movies in the lead up to the games based around the Winter Olympics. So we will tag them through our Facebook page. We won't post them on our feed, but we will tag them for you if you want to hear us reviewing Winter Olympics movies. So we've done Itonia, and that's sort of a halfway between a review and a recap. It's not a full recap. It's not a spoiler-free review. It's sort of halfway in between. Outside of that, we will be looking at Cool Runnings, which you know we're excited for, Eddie the Eagle, and Miracle, sort of the three main Winter Olympics movies that I believe are in existence anyway. So stay tuned. For those on the Oz Network, as I said, we will tag them for you across our social media pages. And in the meantime, if you are just joining us for the very first time, you've discovered us, you can like us on Facebook, subscribe on iTunes, or of course Stitcher, and leave us some feedback. We'd love to hear from you across the way because we're about to get very busy here off the podium and start to cover our very first Winter Olympics. And post Winter Olympics, it's Commonwealth Games time, so we've got plenty to cover in the next couple of months as we kind of only generally work every 18 or so months. That's generally how the Olympics work. My name is Ben. Thank you very much again to Andy Jung for joining us. And until next week, again, this has been Off The Podium. See you next time. Good night.