“Beauty Bird” Choi Yoon-hee Breaks Four-Meter Mark

“Korea’s Beauty Bird,” Choi Yoon-hee (19, Gongju University), broke the four-meter record in women’s pole vault and established her 12th Korean record.

At the final round of the women collegiate pole vault division at the 34th National Track and Field Meet held at Gwangju World Cup Stadium on April 19, Choi jumped over the four-meter mark, raising her previous Korean record (3m, 82cm) set in last year’s national competition in October by 18 centimeters.

Passing the 3m 80cm mark easily in the first round, she then passed the 3m 90cm mark, setting a Korean record, then again aimed at and succeeded in setting the four-meter record. But Choi’s record is short 52 centimeters in comparison to the Asian record (4m, 52cm, Shuying Gao of China) and is 92 centimeters short of world record (4m, 92cm, Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia). It is also 25 centimeters less than the Olympic B standard record (4m, 25cm).

The 170cm, 59kg Choi started off as a shot-putter in elementary school, and entered the area of pole vaulting in 1999 when she was in her first year of junior high school. She said, “I learned a lot when I visited Russia last year by how Isinbayeva committed herself in training. The upper muscle strengthening exercises done over the winter seems to have had a huge impact. Should I be given the chance, I want to learn more in Russia.”

In the fourth round of the women’s collegiate long jump event, Jung Soon-ok (22, Dong-a University) recorded a 6m 41cm jump, breaking the Korean record by three centimeters (6m, 38cm) previously established by Kim Soo-yeon (Ulsan City Hall) at the National meet in October. Jung’s record is 60 centimeters below the Asian record (7m 1cm, Weili Yao of China), and 1m 11cm off the world record (7m, 52cm, Galina Chistyakova of Russia).

Hwa-Sung Kim mars@donga.com