TOP 10 SPORTS NEWS OF THE YEAR

The sports world both at home and abroad in the year of 2000 witnessed hectic competitions, highlighted by the new millennium's first Olympics held in Sydney, Australia. The Sydney Summer Games touched the hearts of the whole world people, while the fall of the Korean soccer ached the heart of the Koreans. The following are the top 10 global sports news of the year 2000.

South, North Koreans make joint march in Sydney: 'a small unification'

Fall of Korean soccer, inviting head coach Hiddink urgently

South and North Korean delegates entered the Olympic stadium under one flag and uniform for the first time in the history of the Modern Olympics that was inaugurated in 1896. It was a historic event that let the whole world know of the peaceful mood on the Korean peninsula after the unprecedented summit talks between the leaders of the two Koreas in Pyongyang in June.

The 180-member inter-Korean delegation entered the stadium during the opening ceremony on Sept. 15, led by the "Korean Peninsula Flag" carried by Park Jung-Chul of the North and Chung Eun-Soon of the South as the 96th team among the 200 participating countries. Thereafter, the delegates of the South and the North got together friendly throughout the Games period, proving the changed inter-Korean relations.

At the beginning of the year, the Korean soccer made a good start in Australia and New Zealand. However, it was so bad in the really important competitions like the Sydney Olympics and the Asian Cup finals in September. It was the target of the public criticism that its level was going backward, compared to 2002 World Cup co-host Japan and China showing a sharp development.

Finally, head coach Huh Jung-Moo was fired and Guus Hiddink of the Netherlands was urgently invited to take the post.

Fortunately, the Korean soccer showed a possibility of resurrection in its friendly match with Japan in Yokohama in December in a 1-1 draw, while the new head coach was watching.

Major leaguer Park Chan-Ho garners 18 wins

Tiger Woods wins grand slam as youngest golfer

With a dream to become a top Major League pitcher, Park Chang-Ho joined the Los Angeles Dodgers seven years ago. Five years after he debuted the league as a full-time player, Park garnered his season high 18 wins. He is expected to renew his contract during the stove league for about $15 million in yearly allowance.

Kim Byun-Hyun of Arizona Diamondbacks was also a sensation of the year. As a rare underhand pitcher in the Major League, he harvested a brilliant performance of 4 wins, five losses and 14 saves just two years after he joined the league.

"Golf genius" Tiger Woods, 25, of the United States, won the four major titles for a grand slam as the youngest player to do so, to make the first year of the new millennium his own year. By winning nine tournaments, he took the honor of the top prize winner with $9,188,321, He set the record of the lowest stroke of 67.79 and received the "Player of the Year" award of the U.S. PGA tour three in a row for the first time in the PGA history.

Lee Hyung-Taek makes final 16 in U.S. Open Tennis

Controversy over pro baseball players association

Lee Hyung-Taek, 24, of Samsung Investment and Securities, wrote a new Korean tennis history by advancing into the third round of 16 semi quarterfinalists in the U.S. Open, a major tournament, in September for the first time. Although he failed to join the final eight as he lost to Pete Sampras of the United States, he received spotlight as a world-class player. As a result, he was ranked within 100th place in the world, known as the "unbreakable wall" for Koreans. He finished the season ranked 90th and is seeking to make the "second leap" next year.

The Korean pro baseball began the year with the issue of the Korean Pro Baseball Players Association (KPBPA) and ended the season with the same issue. The association was founded on Jan. 22 with 75 members after ups and downs, and held its regular session under a plan to register it as a corporate body, namely a sort of labor union, on Dec. 18.

The eight club owners countered with a critical measure of releasing six leaders of the association as free agents, but the virtual expulsion of the leading players provided a momentum for the non-member players to join it. At present, the members number more than 200. The confrontation between the club owners and the players is expected to continue in the New Year. It seems that the picture of the next season could be drawn depending on how the controversy is settled.

Olympic silver medallist Kang Cho-Hyun syndrome hits nation

Unpopular sports like fencing, hockey triumphant in Sydney

Kang Cho-Hyun, 18, third grader of Yoosung Girls' High School, was a pre-game favorite to win the Korea's first gold medal in the Sydney Olympics in the women's air rifle event, but she finished for the silver medal by a margin of 0.2 point. Her absentminded look into the air after the final shooting and her bright smile on the stand during the awarding ceremony planted a strong impression in the mind of the whole people. She became an overnight Cinderella as her life overcoming difficult family conditions were reported, and gave rise to a "Kang Cho-Hyon Syndrome."

South Korea failed to achieve its goal of joining the top 10 in the gold medal standings for the fifth consecutive times in the Sydney Olympics, but harvested more precious results. It won a gold and a silver in men's fencing and men's hockey which has been sidelined as unpopular sports.

Fencer Kim Young-Ho, 29, won the gold medal in the men's individual foil, defeating the much-fancied European favorites, to help the sport receive spotlight at home. The men's hockey team, tiding over the difficult reality without any usual grounds, won the silver medal of "tears" by stopping the hockey powerhouse Pakistan.

Pak Seri wins no title in LPGA

Sun Dong-Yol retires, rejecting 2 billion won

South Korea's trademark female golfer Pak Seri, 23, of Samsung Astra disappointed the local fans by finishing the 2000 U.S. LPGA tour with no title.

Over the past two years, she garnered four wins each, but failed to repeat the success story this year. Her fans suspected that she might have relaxed her attention after she successfully overcame the so-called "sophomore jinx."

She employed new caddie, Collin Karn, who worked for Anika Sorenstam for her 16 wins in total. Will she be able to show a smart "revival" in 2001?

It must be really hard for him to overcome a temptation that the pitcher could earn 2 billion won (200 million yen), if he plays one more year and he swallows his pride a little bit. Sun Dong-Yol, now a member of publicity committee of the Korea Pro Baseball Organization, agonized for a long time, but he made a resolute decision, deserving the once best player, to finish his career in a smart way. He made up his mind to retire in the year when he presented his Chunichi Dragons of Japan with the champion cup, and returned home for good on Jan. 27.