As the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro approaches, the head of the country's top training ground called for more public support for Olympic athletes.

Choi Jong-sam, who oversees the National Training Center in Seoul, told Yonhap News Agency last week that the athletes gearing up for the Aug. 5-21 event will feed off the energy of enthusiastic fans.

"There's nothing better than the people's support and backing to boost morale for our athletes," Choi said. "If the country can rally around these Olympic athletes, then they should be able to meet the people's expectations."

Choi said the goal for South Korea in Rio is to win at least 10 gold medals and post its fourth consecutive top-10 finish in the medal race.

"I've been encouraging our athletes here to work hard and leave no regrets," Choi said. "If the athletes and coaches can all come together, I think we will have a successful Olympics."

While results are obviously important, Choi said he's also stressing the importance of the process with athletes.

"I think the people will also put more weight on how hard their athletes tried than on the color of their medals," Choi said. "No matter how talented you are, if you don't put in the effort in training, it will show in the competition and the fans will not get behind them."

Choi said he's counting on gold medals from archery and taekwondo, two of the country's traditional gold mines, and is also expecting solid results from judo, shooting, wrestling, fencing, badminton and gymnastics. He said he considers South Korea the best in the world in women's golf.

Still, all athletes must guard against complacency.

"You can't be relying on pure luck at the Olympics," the former judoka said. "Olympic medals are won by those who train harder than anyone and who also have luck on their side."

During the London Games, South Korea set up a training camp at a local university, and Choi credited that home away from home -- chefs who traveled from Seoul served up Korean food there -- with helping the country finish fifth overall with 13 gold medals.

Choi said, however, it won't be easy to establish a similar local camp in Rio.

"Realistically, we'd be better off training somewhere in Europe or the United States and reduce the traveling distance to Brazil,"

Choi said. "If the athletes get to Brazil too early, they run the risk of peaking too early physically and hitting the downslopes when the competition rolls around. We're considering sending athletes to Rio about 10 days in advance." (Yonhap)