Kim Kuk-yeong earns first AG medal on his fourth trial

Track and field sprinter Kim Kuk-yeong walked a long, dull path alone. At the age of 19, he set a South Korean record of 10.34 seconds in the men's 100-meter sprint in 2010, replacing the previous record set by Seo Mal-gu 31 years ago. Kim wrote four national records, including the record of 10.07 seconds set back in 2017.  

Kim was not alone when he first earned a medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. In the 4X100-meter relay, he won the bronze with Lee Jeong-tae, Lee Jae-seong, and Ko Seung-hwan on Tuesday, tying the national record time of 38.74 seconds. The four athletes successfully claimed the country's first medal in this event in 37 years since the 1986 Seoul Asian Games presented the country with the bronze.

“I am happy that I can leave the track with relief,” Kim said after the game. “I hope that this medal will be a starting point for the country to win medals in sprint events frequently.” He appreciated the 16 years of support he had enjoyed as part of the national team. He promised to share all of his know-how with young athletes so that they could claim gold medal in the 4X100-meter relay event in the 2026 Asian Games.


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com