Emil Zatopek: Czech people’s Olympic hero
By Choe Chong-dae
I had the pleasure of attending a book launch to celebrate the publication of the biography of Emil Zatopek, a legendary Czech long-distance runner, in Seoul.
The Korean language version of the biography entitled ``Running," was released by the Embassy of the Czech Republic at the French Cultural Center in Seoul, on Aug. 18, 2011, coinciding with the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu .
The novel-style book portrays the unique story of the famous 1952 Olympic champion Zatopek (1922-2000). The special and original edition of the French novel ``Courir” (meaning to run), was written by renowned French writer and Goncourt Prize recipient, Jean Echenoz.
I was intrigued by the beautifully crafted portraits of Zátopek in the book, which led me to discover that he is not only unique as a Czech sporting hero, but was also a hard worker with strong work ethic as one of his special attributes that crown his title as the most successful long-distance runner in mid-20th century European history.
Remarkably, he ran professionally for 17 years and broke the world record 16 times. He scooped one Olympic gold medal in the 1948 games, added three more gold medals in the 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and the marathon in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.
Looking at their 20th-century historical backgrounds, both Korea and the Czech Republic had in common the unflagging desire to achieve independence and democratization; both countries were fixed on instituting independence and democratic movements. In addition, they were keen on establishing a suitable environment to participate in athletics and sports.
Coincidentally, the Czech Republic and Korea are the proud homelands of the most iconic long-distance runners in Olympic history. The legacy of Zatopek’s life as a sporting legend and a tenacious campaigner for his nation's democratic space reminds me of Korea’s Sohn Kee-chung, the 1936 Olympic hero.
Sohn was the first Korean to win a gold medal in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, making him the first ever Korean Olympic medalist. However, when he was crowned with a laurel wreath, Sohn bowed his head in protest because at the time, Korea was suffering under the yoke of Japanese colonial rule, and he was actually participating in the Japanese delegation. His patriotism and resistance against Japanese colonial rule deeply impressed the world.
Likewise, Zatopek was not only a remarkable athletic star and king of the long-distance track in his times, but also an enthusiastic advocate of freedom and democracy. Zatopek was also a hero as he was among the leading figures demanding the country’s democratization after Soviet occupation in 1968.
Since the Prague Spring, he was forced to resign from all important positions in both sporting and social life, and lived in internal exile until the fall of communism in 1989 under political oppression. However, he reemerged as a significant role model as a sporting hero as well as a social hero since the collapse of communism.
He was truly devoted to his profession and continued to love running. He left behind many famous quotes which encouraged future athletes paved the way for spirit of sportsmanship. Two of them are: ``Athletes should run with hope in their hearts and dream in their heads. They cannot run with money in their pockets” and ``Birds are flying, fishes are swimming, and people are running.”
I am greatly encouraged by the unique publication of Zatopek’s biography, for it depicts that he was not just as an athlete but also an impassioned activist for freedom.
Likewise, following Zatopek’s wisdom, current sportsmen should not only strive to advance their careers and wealth, but also use their position and influence to make the world a better place by participating actively in governance and the current affairs of their society.
Choe Chong-dae is a guest columnist of The Korea Times and president of Dea-kwang International Co., as well as a director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at dkic98@chol.com.