Korea Wins First Bodybuilding Gold Medal in 9 Years

Muscular bodies from all around the world appeared on stage one by one yesterday afternoon in Halla Gymnasium in Jeju. Their heights varied from 187cm to 160cm, but regardless of their heights, they all appeared muscular, with inverted triangular torsos. The occasion was the final round of the 61st Men’s Bodybuilding Championships of the International Federation of Body Building and Fitness.

Four hundred and twenty competitors from 72 countries participated in the championship, with five Koreans in four categories out of a total nine categories. In the final round, six bodybuilders from each category competed for first place.

Renowned bodybuilders from around the world demonstrated the epitome of well-built bodies by flexing their arm, leg, and chest muscles in front of nine judges.

Cho Wang-bung (Busan) took the gold medal in the 60kg finals and remarked, “I am happy to have vindicated the bitterness of my 2005 Shanghai Championships silver medal.” Song Jeong-in (Chungcheongnam-do) won the silver medal in the 65kg category.

Korea had won two gold medals in the 1993 Seoul Championships; Bang Woon-hyuk in the 65kg division and Han Dong-ki in the 70kg division.

Since Han Dong-ki’s gold in the 1998 Turkish Championships, Korea had been held without gold until last year. However, in this event, Lee Doo-hee (80kg, Daegu), Kim Duk-soo (90kg, Chungcheongnam-do) and Jeon Chil-sung (100kg, Jeollanam-do) qualified for the semi-finals. Korean Bodybuilding Federation (KBBF) director Chang Yong-chan said, “The competitors in the finals are all in the same class. Korean bodybuilding can stand side by side with the world’s best bodybuilders.”

beetlez@donga.com