Do Je-hae
Korea and the Czech Republic share in common a past history of some unforgettable moments of glory in running.
Although unknown to many Koreans, the Czech Republic is the proud homeland of one of most iconic long-distance runners in Olympic history.
A novel portraying the unique story of the 1952 Olympic champion Emil Zatopek (1922-2000) has been published in Korean on the occasion of the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu. The special edition of the French novel “Courir (to run)” by Jean Eschenoz was presented at a press conference, Thursday, at the French Cultural Center in Seoul.
Ambassador of the Czech Republic Jaroslav Olsa Jr. met Zatopek a few time times in the 1980s.
He introduced some personal sides of the iconic athlete.
“Zatopek loved Asia as he spent some time in Indonesia as a coach,” the ambassador said.
He explained that while Zatopek was a big star when the diplomat was a young boy, the media shunned covering the athlete as he was an anti-Communist.
“After Communism fell, he was finally able to travel and be known to other parts of the world,” Olsa added.
The ambassador wished the best of luck for athletes of his nation and Korea at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu which runs Aug. 27-Sept. 4.
Zatopek is an immense inspiration to many of the runners participating in the Daegu event.
He is a great pioneer in “interval training,” a technique employed by many of today’s runners in practice, involving brief bouts at near-maximum exertion interspersed with periods of lower-intensity activity.
“Zatopek is simply the most successful long-distance runner of the 20th century,” said Park Jung-ki, president of the Korea Association of Athletics Federation. “He ran professionally for 17 years and broke the world record 16 times.”
Zatopek, who bagged one Olympic gold medal in the 1948 games, added three more gold medals in 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and the marathon in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.
“His achievement at the 1952 Games is just out of this world,” Park said.
The 75-year-old also serves as a member of the IAAF Council and honorary president of the Organizing Committee for the IAAF World Championships in Daegu.
While in complete awe of Zatopek’s Olympic achievement, Park also underlined the athlete’s sincere passion for his sport.
“He was truly devoted to his profession and loved running,” the veteran sports official said.
Zatopek left behind many famous quotes demonstrating his integrity and spirit as a dedicated sportsman.
“An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head,” he once said.
On marathon, he also said: “If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.”
Park highlighted Ambassador Olsa’s special love for Korea, which he sees as background of the republication of the Korean version of “Courir.”
Originally published last year, the new version carries logos of the Daegu event as well as the Czech and French embassies.
“Korea’s running community is greatly encouraged by this unique publication,” Parked added.
For some Koreans, Zatopek’s life as a sporting legend and a tireless fighter for his nation is reminiscent of Sohn Kee-chung, the 1936 Olympic champion who at the time ran for a nation suffering under Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945).
The Daegu National Museum recently launched a two-month special exhibition, featuring the late marathoner’s treasured possessions accumulated since he was crowned the nation’s first Olympic champion on Aug. 9, 1936.
“Those of us in sports respect Zatopek not just as an athlete but also as an impassioned activist for freedom,” Park said.
Zatopek had been an influential figure in the Communist Party, but he supported the party’s democratic wing.
After the Prague Spring, he was forced to work in a uranium mine as punishment. He died in Prague in 2000 at the age of 78.
jhdo@koreatimes.co.kr