South Korea’s unexpected long jump double golds are my favorite Asian Games underdog stories . Seeing my compatriots lose in those two events brings forth sad feelings. But then again, I love a good underdog story. It just wasn’t my beloved country’s time to hatch her own version of pleasant athletics surprises.
South Korea’s first Long Jump gold was Jung Soon-ok’s (정순옥) upset win over World Indoor Triple Jump Champion Olga Rypakova. Jung leaped to 6.50m in her third attempt, snatching the lead from the Asian triple jump record holder. Rypakova, incidentally, has a better season’s best of 6.60m than Jung’s erstwhile SB of 6.48m.
Kim Deok-hyeon’s (김덕현) golden moment was even more dramatic. In the fifth round, Kim overhauled Su Xiongfeng’s 8.05m, sailing to a season’s best of 8.11m. After his winning leap, Kim writhed in pain on the long jump pit, clutching his immobile left leg. His left leg had cramped up upon landing! He limped off the pit in almost hilarious manner. He was obviously in pain, but as soon as he saw that he won gold, his expression brightened up!
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