Lee Eun-jeong Gearing for Marathon Gold Medal

“Minimum oxygen inhalation training”→ “Training at Kunming, a hilly terrain in China”→“Training camp in Japan”→“Participation in 2008 Seoul International Marathon”

December 26, 2007, the training center at KyungHee University in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Marathon Queen Lee Eun-jeong, (26, Samsung Electronics) was running on a treadmill in a training facility conditioned in low pressure and low oxygen. It was harder than normal training, but her face was beaming with a smile. She is preparing for field training at Kunming, a hilly terrain in China, in early January next year.

“Olympic medal projects for Lee Eun-jeong” was established. The first phase is the 2008 Seoul International Marathon as well as the 79th Dong-A Marathon competition scheduled for March 16, 2008. She vows to break the Korean record maintained for the past 10 years (2h 26m 12s set by Gwon Eun-ju in 1997). She plans to realize the desire of her heart since giving up at the 2004 Seoul International Marathon and to further try and win the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

“I took enough rest. Now is the time to spurt.”

Lee Eun-jeong fell into a slump for about a year after she dropped out during the 2005 Tokyo International Women’s Marathon, but she came out of the slump early this year and is maintaining good condition these days. In the JoongAng Seoul Marathon held in November this year, she won with a time of 2h 29m 32s, creating a stepping-stone for future successes.

“Now I have regained my confidence. When things went poorly in the past, I felt tired. But these days, I feel good. I am confident that I can set a new record in the Seoul International Marathon next year.” On December 5, Lee started training designed at an adjusted reduced oxygen level and weight training to build up her physical strength. Although harsh trainings such as Kunming in China in January and camp training in Japan in February await her, she is full of self-confidence.

In particular, her training is focused on “training in hilly sections” which increases the level of hemoglobin, oxygen-carrying blood cells, in order to increase sustaining power. That is why she is receiving adjustment training even before going to Kunming in China, which boasts 1800m of hilly terrain.

Lee Eun-jeong is excellent in speed as she holds several records such as in distances of 5000m (15m 41s 67’), 10,000m (32m 43s 35’), and half-marathon (1h 11m 15s). Oh In-hwan, coach of Samsung Electronics, estimates that if she builds up her physical strength and stamina, she has the capacity to break the new record as well as the Korean records. He added that she regained her usual condition after coming out of her recent slump. He stated, “I especially place high hope with her because she shows her determination and will.”

Regarding this, she responded with a smile saying, “If I should do it at all, I want to be at the top.”

yjongk@donga.com