Sohn Kee-chung

Last updated

Sohn Kee-chung
Sohn Kee-chung 1936.jpg
Sohn in 1936
Personal information
Native name손기정
Born(1912-08-29)August 29, 1912
Shingishu, Heianhoku-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan
DiedNovember 15, 2002(2002-11-15) (aged 90)
Seoul, South Korea
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight60 kg (132 lb)
Korean name
Hangul
손기정
Hanja
Revised Romanization Son Gijeong
McCune–Reischauer Son Kijŏng
Sport
SportAthletics
Now coaching Ham Kee-Yong, Suh Yun-Bok
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals
Medal record
Representing Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1936 Berlin Marathon

Sohn Kee-chung (Korean : 손기정; Korean pronunciation: [son.kidʑʌŋ] ; August 29, 1912 [1] [2] – November 15, 2002) was a Korean-Japanese Olympic athlete and long-distance runner. He became the first ethnic Korean to win a medal at the Olympic Games, winning gold in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He was born in the Korean Peninsula, but he competed as a member of the Japanese delegation because Korea was under Japanese rule at the time. [3] Sohn set an Olympic record of 2 hours 29 minutes 19.2 seconds. [4]

Contents

Sohn competed under the Japanese name Kitei Son, as Korea was under Japanese occupation during his career. [3] [4]

Early life

Sohn Kee-chung was born on August 29, 1912, in Sinuiju (then "Shingishū"), Heianhoku-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan (now in North Korea). [5] [1] [3] He was born into the Miryang Son clan  [ ko ]. [6]

Sohn reportedly had a talent for running even at a young age. In sixth grade, he placed first in a regional 5 km race, beating out older competitors. [5] He studied at Yangchung High School in Seoul, which was reputed for its track and field program. [5] He then enrolled in Meiji University in Tokyo, where he graduated in 1940.[ citation needed ]

Athletics career

In 1931, he ran as the representative of his province at the Chōsen Shrine Competition (조선신궁대회) in Seoul (Keijō), and placed first. In 1932, he came in second in the Kyŏngyŏng Race (경영 마라톤대회), which was hosted by newspaper The Dong-A Ilbo . In April 1932, he won the Tokyo-Yokohama ekiden (road race). [5]

Sohn first competed in the 1,500 and 5,000 m, but turned to longer distances after winning the Chōsen Shrine Competition in October 1933. [5] Between 1933 and 1936, he ran 12 marathons; he finished in the top three on all occasions and won nine. [3] On November 3, 1935, in Tokyo, Japan, Sohn set a world record in the marathon with a time of 2:26:42, which broke the world record 2:26:44 set by Yasuo Ikenaka of Japan at the Berlin Olympic trials on April 3, 1935, in Tokyo, Japan. [7] [8] According to the International Association of Athletics Federations, the record remained unbroken until Sohn's own trainee, Suh Yun-Bok, won the 1947 Boston Marathon. [7] [9] Unofficially, he ran a marathon with a time under 2:24 on April 27, 1935, in Seoul, South Korea.

1936 Berlin Olympics

Sohn Kee-chung, 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics Sohn Kee-chung (Kitei Son) Medal Ceremony 1936 Summer Olympics.jpg
Sohn Kee-chung, 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics

Sohn, competing for the Empire of Japan, won the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics in the marathon. He ran the 42.195 kilometres (26.219 mi) course in 2:29:19.2, breaking the Olympic record. [4] His teammate Nam Sung-yong took the bronze medal. As Korea was under Japanese rule at the time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially credited Japan with Sohn's gold and Nam's bronze in the 1936 Summer Olympics medal count.

On December 9, 2011, the IOC recognized Sohn's Korean nationality in his official profile. It cited his efforts to sign his Korean name and his stress on Korea's status as a separate nation during interviews. The move was part of the Korean Olympic Committee's repeated requests to acknowledge Sohn's background. However, the IOC ruled out changing the nationality and registered name per official records to prevent historical distortions. [10]

Political significance

Under orders from Tokyo, Sohn Kee-chung had to compete using the Latin alphabet name of Son Kitei. It is the romanization of the Japanese pronunciation of his Korean name in hanja. [11]

Sohn refused to acknowledge the Japanese anthem while it was played at his award ceremony and later told reporters that he was ashamed to run for Japan. [3] When the Dong-a Ilbo published a photograph of Sohn at the medal ceremony, it altered the image to remove the Japanese flag from his running tunic. The act enraged the Japanese Governor-General of Korea Minami Jiro in Seoul. The Kempetai military police imprisoned eight people connected with the newspaper and suspended its publication for nine months. [12] [13]

Hellenic prize

For winning the marathon, Sohn was to have received an ancient Corinthian helmet from the 8th century BC, which was discovered at Olympia, Greece, and later purchased by a newspaper in Athens to give as an Olympic award. However, the IOC believed that presenting such a valuable gift to a runner would violate its amateur rules. The helmet was placed in a Berlin museum and remained there for 50 years. It was finally presented to Sohn in 1986. [14] [15] Sohn donated the helmet to the National Museum of Korea, which designated it as the 904th and only Western National Treasure. [16] There was initially a plan to award replicas of this helmet to the winners of the 2006 Sohn Kee-chung marathon, [17] but they eventually got only a chance to wear a replica. [18]

Later life

The Corinthian helmet that was awarded to Sohn Kee-chung, on display at the National Museum of Korea. Sohn kee jung bronz helmet korea.jpg
The Corinthian helmet that was awarded to Sohn Kee-chung, on display at the National Museum of Korea.

Sohn was the team manager for the Korea at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics and was the nation's flag bearer in the London 1948 opening ceremony. [19] Sohn spent the remainder of his career in South Korea coaching other notable runners such as Suh Yun-Bok, the winner of the Boston Marathon in 1947; [3] Ham Kee-Yong, winner of the Boston Marathon in 1950; and Hwang Young-Cho, who was the gold medalist of the 1992 Summer Olympics marathon, and whom Sohn Kee-chung especially went to Barcelona to see. Sohn also became the Vice Chairman of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, he was given the honor of carrying the Olympic torch in the stadium during the opening ceremony. [3] [20]

Sohn authored an autobiography entitled My Motherland, My Marathon (나의 조국 나의 마라톤). [21]

He was honored with the Moran Class of the Korean Order of Civil Merit.

Death and legacy

Sohn died at midnight on November 15, 2002, at age 90 from pneumonia. He was buried at the Daejeon National Cemetery. The Sohn Kee-chung Park in Seoul was established in his honor. [20] He was also posthumously made a Grand Cordon (Blue Dragon) of the Order of Sport Merit.

Sohn appears in Zainichi author Yu Miri's semi-autobiographical novel The End of August (8月の果て) about her grandfather, Yang Im-deuk, who was a rival of Sohn's when they were young.

Actors who played Sohn Kee-chung

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nam Sung-yong</span> South Korean,Japanese marathon runner

Nam Sung-yong was a Korean Olympian who won a bronze medal in the marathon at the 1936 Summer Olympics, completing the run in 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 42 seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hwang Young-cho</span> South Korean long-distance runner

Hwang Young-cho is a former South Korean athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1992 Summer Olympics and 1994 Asian Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1936 Summer Olympics medal table</span> Award

The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Berlin, Germany, from 1 August to 16 August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics</span> Athletics events at the 1936 Summer Olympics

At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, 29 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 6 for women. The program of events was unchanged from the previous Games. There was a total of 776 participants from 43 countries competing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Bong-ju</span> South Korean marathon runner (born 1970)

Lee Bong-Ju is a South Korean marathoner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japan at the 1936 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The Empire of Japan competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. 179 athletes competed in 13 sports and also participated in art competitions. In art competitions, Japan won 2 bronze medals by Ryuji Fujita in paintings and also Sujaku Suzuki in drawing and water colours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Korea at the Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The Republic of Korea first participated at the Olympic Games in 1948, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for 1980 which they boycotted. South Korea has also participated in every Winter Olympic Games since 1948, except for the 1952 games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suh Yun-bok</span> Korean marathoner (1923–2017)

Suh Yun-bok was a South Korean marathoner, who is best known as the winner of the 1947 Boston Marathon.

Ham Kee-yong was a South Korean marathoner, best known as the winner of the 1950 Boston Marathon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sim Hun</span> Korean writer (1901–1936)

Shim Daeseop, more commonly known by his art name Shim Hun, was a Korean novelist, poet, and playwright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greece–South Korea relations</span> Bilateral relations

Greek–South Korean relations are the foreign relations between Greece and South Korea. Greece has an embassy in Seoul and an honorary consulate in Daejeon. South Korea has an embassy in Athens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fusashige Suzuki</span> Japanese long-distance runner

Fusashige Suzuki was a Japanese long-distance runner who is credited by the International Association of Athletics Federations for setting a world record in the marathon on March 31, 1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon</span>

The men's marathon event at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games took place August 9. Fifty-six athletes from 27 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The race was won by Sohn Kee-chung, a Korean athlete competing for Japan as the country was under Japanese occupation; Sohn refused to acknowledge the Japanese anthem at the victory ceremony. Sohn was the first Korean athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, though the medal remains credited as Japan's first victory in the Olympic marathon. Finland (barely) missed the marathon podium for the first time since World War I, with its top two runners placing 4th and 5th.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Michelsen</span>

Albert Richard "Whitey" Michelsen was an American long-distance runner who is recognized as having set a world's best in the marathon on October 12, 1925, with a time of 2:29:01 at the inaugural Port Chester Marathon in Port Chester, New York. According to the International Association of Athletics Federations, Michelsen held this record until Fusashige Suzuki posted a 2:27:49 performance in Tokyo, Japan on March 31, 1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yasuo Ikenaka</span> Japanese long-distance runner

Yasuo Ikenaka was a Japanese long-distance runner who is credited by the International Association of Athletics Federations for setting a world's best in the marathon on April 3, 1935. According to the IAAF, Ikenaka's time of 2:26:44 was over a minute faster than the previous record set by Fusashige Suzuki three days earlier.

The Chuncheon International Marathon is an annual marathon race which is held in late October in the city of Chuncheon, South Korea. First held in 1946, it is the second oldest marathon in the country after the Seoul International Marathon. Sponsored by The Chosun Ilbo, a major daily newspaper in South Korea, the race is one of two in the country which holds IAAF Silver Label status, along with Gyeongju International Marathon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seoul International Marathon</span> Marathon held in Seoul, South Korea

The Seoul International Marathon, also known as The Dong-A Ilbo Seoul Marathon or Seoul Marathon, is an annual marathon race that takes place in Seoul, South Korea. It is hosted by the newspaper The Dong-A Ilbo. It is one of two annual races over the 42.195 km classic distance in the city, alongside the JoongAng Seoul Marathon which is held in November. It holds World Athletics Platinum Label Road Race status. First held in 1931, it is the third longest-running road running competition in Asia after the Hakone Ekiden and Chugoku Yamaguchi Ekiden in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marathon at the Summer Olympics</span> Road running event

The marathon at the Summer Olympics is the only road running event held at the multi-sport event. The men's marathon has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since the first modern Olympics in 1896. Nearly ninety years later, the women's event was added to the programme at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

References

  1. 1 2 Lewis, Mike (November 29, 2002). "Sohn Kee-chung: Korean athlete whose Olympic protest made him a national hero". The Guardian . Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  2. "World Marathon Rankings for 1935". Association of Road Racing Statisticians. September 20, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Son Gi-Jeong Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". April 17, 2020. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Longman, Jeré (November 14, 2009). "Korean Olympic Hero Championed Liberty". The New York Times . Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 정, 찬모, "손기정 (孫基禎)", Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies , retrieved June 8, 2024
  6. "밀성손씨 - 디지털밀양문화대전". Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture . Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  7. 1 2 "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. p. 565. Archived from the original on August 6, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. Men's World Record Times – 1932 to 1938. Marathonguide.com. Retrieved on June 9, 2015.
  9. However, Suh’s performance was set on a course considered to be short by some[ who? ] road racing authorities, which means Sohn's world record would have lasted until the early 1950s. (See the Association of Road Racing Statistician's web pages regarding the Boston Marathon and World Best Progressions.)
  10. The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea – Late Recognition for Korean Olympic Athlete Sohn Kee-chung. English.chosun.com (December 16, 2011). Retrieved on June 9, 2015.
  11. Sohn Kee-chung. beijing2008.cn
  12. Bull, Andy (August 27, 2011). "The forgotten story of Sohn Kee-chung, Korea's Olympic hero". The Guardian .
  13. Athletics at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games: Men's Marathon. sports-reference.com
  14. James Markham (August 18, 1986). "GERMANS LOOK BACK, GINGERLY, TO THE '36 GAMES". New York Times .
  15. Marathon Winner in '36 Berlin Games Will Be Given Prize—50 Years Late. Reuters. August 10, 1986
  16. "Ancient Greek Bronze Helmet". National Museum of Korea . Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  17. "손기정 평화마라톤 우승자에 '청동투구' 수여(Korean)". The Hankyoreh . September 20, 2006.
  18. "'손기정 평화마라톤' 임진각서 열려(Korean)". Media Daum/Yonhap News Agency. November 11, 2006.
  19. "Son Gi-Jeong". olympedia.org. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  20. 1 2 "Sohn Kee-chung". The Korea Times . Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  21. 엄, 민용 (September 25, 2022). "[화제의 책] 손기정 자서전 '나의 조국 나의 마라톤' 나왔다". sports.khan.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved June 8, 2024.
Records
Preceded by Men's Marathon World Record Holder
November 3, 1935 – April 19, 1947
Succeeded by
Olympic Games
Preceded by Final Summer Olympic Torchbearer
1988 Seoul
With: Chung Sun-Man & Kim Won-tak
Succeeded by