&TEAM breaks the curse and wins gold in 400m relay at the Idol Athletics Championships, alongside WOOAH and KISS OF LIFE.
September/19/2024 12:28Related Groups & Members
&TEAM broke the curse of commentator Yoon Yeo-chun (where groups chosen as gold medal candidates face mishaps or disqualifications) at the 'Idol Athletics Championships', winning the gold medal in the 400m relay alongside the WOOAH and KISS OF LIFE joint team. The event aired on MBC on the 18th in Korea, featuring competitions in men's and women's archery team events, dance sports, and the 400m relay. In the men's and women's archery team events, idols from JYP Entertainment, IST Entertainment, WAKEONE, and WM Entertainment competed. In the finals, participants included THE BOYZ's Younghoon from IST, Weekly's Jihan, Zoa, The CrewOne's Jeong Seung-hwan, and WAKEONE's Kep1er members Kim Chaehyun, Shen Xiaoting, ZEROBASEONE's Kim Jiwoon, and Song Hanbin. Jihan and Kim Chaehyun had a close match, while Zoa, competing against Shen Xiaoting, scored 4 points and allowed a comeback. Younghoon and Kim Jiwoon, who had shot perfect gold in the semifinals, continued their heated competition. Amidst the tense match, Kim Jiwoon successfully shot a perfect gold that even broke the camera lens of the 'Idol Championships', leading WAKEONE to win gold with a score of 68 to 63. In dance sports, cignature's Jiwon, WOOAH's Nana, UNIS's Nana, KISS OF LIFE's HANEUL, Triple S's Jiyoung, and Billlie's Tsuki participated. WOOAH's Nana and HANEUL recorded a tie down to the decimal point, sharing first place, while Tsuki, who narrowly missed second place the previous year, showcased samba and cha-cha, impressing with her sharp movements and vibrant footwork, scoring 28.1 points to win gold. The final event was the 400m relay. In the women's 400m relay preliminaries, Kep1er initially led but fell and dropped in rank, while cignature and YOUNG POSSE were disqualified, allowing them to advance to the finals. In the second preliminaries, WOOAH and KISS OF LIFE's joint team took first place, capitalizing on ILLIT's fall, while NMIXX finished last. Commentators Jeong Hyun-moo and Yoon Yeo-chun expressed frustration towards NMIXX. Chang Min-ho, watching the 'Idol Athletics Championships' for the first time, noted the unexpected tension and hoped Yoon Yeo-chun would accurately predict results. Jeong Hyun-moo remarked that it would be difficult, as he had been waiting for ten years. Many first-time participants appeared in the men's 400m relay preliminaries. In the first group, NCT WISH's Yushi surged to first place with incredible speed but was overtaken by EVNNE during the baton exchange. Later, ZEROBASEONE's Park Gonuk and NCT WISH's Riku fell, causing all runners to stumble around the corner, ultimately leading EVNNE and NCT WISH to advance to the finals. In the second group, 82MAJOR, &TEAM, TWS, and WayV competed, with Yoon Yeo-chun predicting 82MAJOR as the top team. WayV faced a crisis of not being able to compete and urgently summoned commentator Kang Daniel, who humorously stated he would give his all despite not being sure of his confidence, running in slacks and finishing last. &TEAM, leading with astonishing speed, and TWS advanced to the finals. In the relay finals, Yoon Yeo-chun named Weekly as a gold medal candidate, to which Weekly responded they would break the curse for the first time. The KISS OF LIFE and WOOAH joint team narrowly secured the gold medal against a fierce challenge from Xiaoting. In a surprising turn, Weekly finished last, leading Jeong Hyun-moo to lament he could no longer commentate due to tears, questioning how the previous champions could finish fourth, blaming Yoon Yeo-chun. Before the men's 400m relay finals, Yoon Yeo-chun expressed fear but still chose &TEAM. Lee Chang-won asked if they were worried about the curse, to which &TEAM's Wiju replied they would break it. From the start, &TEAM and NCT WISH had a close race, with NCT WISH's Riku falling due to centrifugal force but maintaining second place. &TEAM recorded an overwhelming first place, far ahead of the second. Chang Min-ho expressed surprise at &TEAM's exceptional ability, wondering if any team could defeat them in the future. TWS won gold in the men's archery at the 'Idol Athletics Championships', while BADVILLAIN's breakdancing achieved a peak viewership rating of 5.2%. New stars emerged at the 'Idol Athletics Championships', with Japanese athletes excelling in athletics and fierce archery competitions.
Related Articles
ILLIT energized Yonsei University’s festival with a setlist including “You’re Under Arrest,” “Magnetic,” and more. They used whistle props, delivered stable live vocals, and drew loud cheers with a playful lyric change for students. Their new album and older songs are also charting and streaming strongly.
&TEAM has announced live viewing and global live viewing for the Ehime stop of its “2026-2027 &TEAM CONCERT TOUR 'Mark on You'” on Dec. 19. The tour spans 18 cities nationwide, and the title reflects the group’s wish to thank fans and leave a lasting mark with their performance. Attendees will receive an exclusive sticker sheet, and ticket sales begin Oct. 30 for fan club members.
&TEAM and HYBE AMERICA’s SANTOS BRAVOS will release the new song “ORIGAMI” worldwide on November 20. Inspired by origami, the Latin urban pop track explores identity, roots, gratitude, and growth, and marks another major HYBE cross-cultural collaboration.
ILLIT members Wonhee and Iroha have injured their ankles and are currently recovering, according to BELIFT LAB. The agency said their performance at today’s Yonsei University festival may have some movement and choreography adjusted depending on their condition and the outdoor stage.
The 2026 MAMA AWARDS will take place over two days in Osaka under the concept “A MUSIC INTERSTELLAR.” Organizers announced a 360-degree stage, the largest performer lineup in a single region, Park Bo-gum as host, chapter-based awards, and collaborations with artists, films, anime, and AI. They also outlined safety measures and a global fan festival.
The 2026 MAMA AWARDS will take place over two days in Osaka under the concept “A MUSIC INTERSTELLAR.” Organizers announced a 360-degree stage, the largest performer lineup in a single region, Park Bo-gum as host, chapter-based awards, and collaborations with artists, films, anime, and AI. They also outlined safety measures and a global fan festival.
ILLIT achieved strong results with its 5th mini album “BREAK EVEN” and title track “You’re Under Arrest,” ranking high on major charts in Korea and Japan. The song also entered global Spotify and Apple Music charts, and its music video surpassed 10 million views.
On a YouTube variety show, NMIXX’s Sullyoon and BAE talked about their chemistry as same-age members and revealed a secret: Sullyoon secretly ate rose tteokbokki during a strict diet period, and BAE later admitted to eating 60 pieces of sushi. Sullyoon also denied plastic surgery rumors, saying her double eyelids are natural and inherited from her father.
ILLIT’s Wonhee appeared on JTBC’s morning news program “Morning &” as a one-day weathercaster. She blew a whistle used as a prop in the new song “You’re Under Arrest,” introduced ILLIT’s comeback with the 5th mini album “BREAK EVEN,” and explained the title track’s warning message. She also reported cold temperatures and strong winds in some areas and advised viewers to dress warmly.
ZEROBASEONE’s Seok Matthew and Park Gunwook unit EMP will unveil new music in November. They released the poster and promotion schedule for their first digital single, “OFF script,” due out on November 10 at 6 p.m. Before that, they will drop “RUN (with Dynamic Duo)” on November 4.
