1. Early life and education
Jang Hye-ji was born on August 7, 1997, in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. She attended Uiseong Girls' High School (의성여자고등학교Uiseong Yeoja Godeung HakgyoKorean), an institution renowned for its curling program, which played a significant role in her early development as a curler. After graduating, she briefly served as a player for the Korean women's national curling team before shifting her focus to the mixed doubles format.
q=Uiseong County|position=right
2. Career
Jang Hye-ji's curling career is marked by her consistent performances, particularly in mixed doubles, and her participation in major international competitions, including the Winter Olympics.
2.1. Mixed doubles team formation and early international competitions
In February 2016, Jang Hye-ji partnered with Lee Ki-jeong (이기정Lee Ki-jeongKorean) to form the first-ever mixed doubles national curling team for South Korea. Their formation marked a significant step for the sport in the country. That same year, the duo competed at the 2016 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, where they achieved a historic milestone by advancing to the round of 16. In the 2017 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, the team continued to perform strongly, securing a sixth or seventh-place finish overall. Additionally, in August of the same year, they placed fourth at a tournament in New Zealand, having gone undefeated in the preliminary round with seven straight wins before being eliminated in the knockout stage. They also finished fourth in a curling tour event held in Bern, Switzerland that month.
2.2. 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics
Jang Hye-ji and Lee Ki-jeong represented South Korea in the mixed doubles tournament at the 2018 Winter Olympics held in Pyeongchang. Jang Hye-ji was notably the youngest curler to compete in the entire tournament.
Their Olympic campaign began on February 8, when they faced Finland in their first preliminary round game, securing a dominant 9-4 victory after Finland conceded the game after the seventh end. In their second game of the day, they played against China. Despite falling behind 6-1 after four ends, the South Korean team mounted an impressive comeback to tie the game at 7-7 in the eighth end. However, they ultimately lost in an extra end when China scored one point.
On February 9, the team experienced a setback, losing 3-8 to Norway in their third game. Nevertheless, they quickly rebounded in their fourth game, decisively defeating the United States by a score of 9-1. The following day, February 10, proved challenging as they suffered consecutive losses against the Olympic Athletes from Russia and Switzerland in their fifth and sixth matches, respectively. In their seventh and final preliminary round game, they were defeated by Canada with a score of 3-7. The team concluded the event in fifth or joint sixth place, ultimately failing to advance to the semifinals.
2.3. Post-Olympics career and national championships
Following their participation in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Jang Hye-ji continued her curling career, focusing on mixed doubles. She competed in the 2018 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship later that year. Domestically, Jang Hye-ji has achieved significant success in the Korean Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, securing gold medals in multiple editions of the tournament. These national titles were won in 2016 (at Uiseong), 2017 (at Icheon), 2019 (at Gangneung), and 2020 (also at Gangneung).
3. Achievements and records
Jang Hye-ji has achieved several notable milestones and records throughout her curling career, particularly in mixed doubles:
- Olympic Appearances**: One appearance at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
- World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship Appearances**: Three appearances (2016, 2017, 2018).
- Korean Mixed Doubles Championship**:
- Gold: 2016 (Uiseong), 2017 (Icheon), 2019 (Gangneung), 2020 (Gangneung).
- Youngest Olympic Curler**: At the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, she was the youngest curler competing in the mixed doubles tournament.
- First Korean Mixed Doubles National Team**: Co-formed South Korea's inaugural mixed doubles national curling team in February 2016.