Choi Yun-chil (19 July 1928 – 8 October 2020) was a South Korean long-distance runner who was a two-time Olympian[2] and a two-time national champion in the marathon.[3]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 July 1928 Dancheon, Korea, Empire of Japan (now North Korea) |
| Died | October 8, 2020 (aged 92)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Country | South Korea |
| Sport | running |
| Event | marathon |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 최윤칠 |
| Hanja | 崔崙七 |
| Revised Romanization | Choe Yunchil |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'oe Ryunch'il |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Olympic finals | 1948 (DNF), 1952(4th) |
| National finals | Two-time champion |
Medal record | |
Career
editChoi led the marathon at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London before dropping out with less than 5 kilometers left in the race.[4] He finished third in the 1950 Boston Marathon,[5][6] but the Boston Athletic Association denied his entry into the following year's event.[7] During the height of the Korean War, BAA President Walter A. Brown stated: "While American soldiers are fighting and dying in Korea, every Korean should be fighting to protect his country instead of training for marathons. As long as the war continues there, we positively will not accept Korean entries for our race on April 19."[7] In 1952, Choi finished fourth in the Olympic marathon at Helsinki.[8]
References
edit- ^ Choi Yun-chil's obituary (in Korean)
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Choi Yun-Chil". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
- ^ "Untitled".
- ^ Martin, David E.; Roger W. H. Gynn (May 2000). The Olympic Marathon. Human Kinetics Publishers. p. 188. ISBN 978-0-88011-969-6.
- ^ "Untitled".
- ^ Sport: Koreans in a Hurry. Time, May 1, 1950.
- ^ a b Sport: Banned in Boston. Time, February 12, 1951.
- ^ Martin, David E.; Roger W. H. Gynn (May 2000). The Olympic Marathon. Human Kinetics Publishers. pp. 205–207. ISBN 978-0-88011-969-6.
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