By Yoon Chul
The South Korean city of PyeongChang recently won the right to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and this feat is still attracting huge attention here.
But now it is time to focus on the IAAF World Championships, which will be held from Aug. 27 to Sept. 4 in Daegu.
Koreans are not big fans of athletics but it is a tremendous chance to watch world-class track and field names in the biannual event on home soil.
While registration should be completed by Aug. 15, 2,472 competitors from 207 nations have provisionally signed up for the event. If those figures are realized they will be new participation records.
Although the IAAF World Championships is one of biggest sporting events, along with the Olympics and FIFA World Cup, the kind of anticipation that preceded the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup or 1988 Seoul Summer Games hasn’t gripped the Korean Peninsula.
There was a similar low-key mood ahead of the inaugural F1 Korean Grand Prix in October last year. But many spectators, when they actually arrived at the circuit in Yeongam in South Jeolla Province, thoroughly enjoyed the race and hope to be there again this October.
Organizers are hoping that when fans actually see the world record holder Usain Bolt of Jamaica run in Daegu, their interest and participation in world athletics will increase.
To enhance the spectacle the organizing committee has upgraded facilities in the stadium.
A new Mondo track has been installed, providing better conditions than polyurethane surfaces, and should help the athletes perform to their best. The committee has also installed floodlights and a big screen, so the action can be seen as clearly as possible.
One of the reasons for the lack of interest in athletics is that Korea has been lagging in this field. But work is being done to help domestic athletes compete for medals at international events. In Daegu the men’s team is looking to make it to the finals in one of the championships’ showcase events, the 4x100-meter relay.
2010 Guangzhou Asian Summer Games gold medalists Ji Young-jun (men’s marathon), Kim Deok-hyeon (men’s triple jump) and Jung Soon-ok (women’s long jump) are Korea’s best chances for medal success.
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