[Sydney Olympics]Marathoner Chung Nam Gyeun

In all honesty, I am feeling burdened. But I will do my best so I will have no regrets.

Korea`s marathoner for the next generation, Chung Nam Kyeun, embarks on a plane to Australia on the 4th with hopes of bringing home the gold from Sydney.

When Chung snatched a surprise victory at the 2000 Dong-A Marathon by beating top notch runners, he was merely a rookie. However, through a arduous 6 month training program, he has rapidly developed into a top level marathoner who will be a force to reckon with in the Sydney Olympics. He is now 22 years old, the same age as Hwang Young Jo when he took the gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and his spirit is similar to Hwang`s.

Including the Donga Marathon, Chung has only completed 2 full marathon races, making Sydney only his 3rd full course marathon. Nonetheless, this is exactly the point that is increasing the chances of Chung taking it all in Sydney.

Kim Sang-Ho hyangsan@donga.com