Swimmer Park offers his prize as tribute to coaches

SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Yonhap) -- Olympic swimming gold medalist Park Tae-hwan paid a special tribute to his coaching staff Thursday by giving them his cash prize of 100 million won (US$90,000).

The 19-year-old won the gold in the men's 400-meter freestyle and a silver in the
200m freestyle at the Beijing Games, bringing his country its first-ever title in
Olympic swimming.

After being awarded the cash prize by the Korea Swimming Federation in Seoul,
Park immediately relayed it to his coaches, including Roh Min-sang, who has
coached the swimmer since he was a boy.

"My coaches were behind me all the way to my accomplishment at the
Olympics," Park said. "This is only a small token of my gratitude to
them."

Park became an icon in South Korea since the Beijing Olympics last month. A
number of corporate sponsors have come out to back him, with Park receiving a
number of cash prizes from them since he came back to Seoul.

"I'm grateful to Park," Roh said, suggesting he plans to use the money
to help teach South Korean swimmers.

South Korea finished seventh with 13 gold medals in the Aug. 8-24 Olympics,
notching its best Summer Games performance to date.

samkim@yna.co.kr

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