Bodybuilding Worlds in Jeju Next Week
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
The 61st Men's World Bodybuilding Championships will be held on Oct. 27 and 28 in Jeju Island.
About 300 bodybuilders from 70 countries will showcase their well-trained bodies at the International Federation of Body Building and Fitness (IFBB)-organized annual event.
The competition decides each winner from nine classes. Among those, it selects the best bodybuilder, branded as ``Mr. Universe.''
It will be the second time the Korea Bodybuilding Federation (KBF) has hosted the World Championships.
In 1993, it hosted the 47th contest in Seoul, where South Korea won two gold medals, which were the first golds achieved by Koreans at a world-level competition.
From that point, Korean bodybuilders continued to take gold medals every year until their streak came to an end in 1999. Since then, Korea has not produced any gold medallists.
All Korean participants where disqualified in preliminary rounds last year.
Korea dispatches a total of 15 bodybuilders in eight events. Seven events will feature two Koreans apiece, while the under-80-kilogram division will feature one. No Koreans will compete in the 100-kg division.
The Korean team, made up of gold medallist from the National Sports Festival earlier this month, is expecting to win golds in the under-60, under-65 and under-75-kg levels.