Kim Mi-jung`s New Record Set For Walkathon

A walker Kim Mi-jung often referred as the “Hope of Korean Woman`s Walkathon” has once again broke Korea`s best record. At the 42nd Walkathon Competition held in Wajimashi, Japan on April 20th , Kim recorded 1 hour 33 minutes and 58 seconds in the 20km course for women players coming in second place. She renewed her best performance achieved at the same competition last year, which was 1 hour 34 minutes and 47 minutes. This time, she shortened 49 seconds in her new record. This is her sixth breaking-record performance in the Korean walkathon history at the 20km walking.

Another amazing fact is that Kim achieved this record only in ten days after she established a new top record at the 10,000 m walking in the National Professional Woman Walkers` Competition held on April 10th.

Kim changed her subject from the middle and long-distance marathon to walkathon in 1998. Ever since then she has been called as a new record maker who has written new records in the Korean walkathon`s history for the 14th time in total at the 10km, 10,000 m and 5,000 m courses. She has the most advantageous physical conditions as a walker with excellent flexibility and tenacity.

She came in 14th place in the 2001 world walkers` competition held in Edmonton, Canada with 1 hour 35 minutes and 22 seconds and she expects to come in 7th or 8th place in another world`s championship held in Paris this August only she could maintain her good body condition. She showed a strong determination to show a great performance at the championship saying, “My final goal is to get a medal in the Olympics held in Athens next year, but first I will do my best at the world`s championship to come within 5th place.”

Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com