ID :
197960
Fri, 07/29/2011 - 06:04
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/197960
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Former star sprinter tells youngsters not to fear failure
SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- Chang Jae-keun may have been a premier Asian sprinter in the 1980s, but the South Korean also had his share of failures.
With the looming World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Chang on Friday had words of encouragement to offer young athletes.
"Those entering the world championships for the first time will realize just how difficult it is to compete against world-class athletes," Chang said of the Aug. 27-Sept. 4 event. "But even if you fail, you should never give up."
Chang, former track technical director for the Korea Association of Athletic Federations (KAAF), should know. The 49-year-old was one of three South Koreans who ran at the inaugural world championships in Helsinki, Finland, in 1983. A year earlier, Chang had won an Asian Games gold medal in the 200 meters and a silver medal in the 100 meters.
But in Finland, Chang, the only Asian to qualify for the 200 meters, was so terrified of running alongside top guns that he pulled out of his quarterfinal heat. He was paired with the eventual champion Calvin Smith of the U.S., who ended his career with three world titles and an Olympic gold in sprint events.
"I think I could have gone as far as the semifinals," Chang recalled. "But I was just scared of running against Calvin Smith, who was the best at the time."
Chang bounced back from that embarrassing experience, and won the 200-meter race at the 1985 Asian championships at 20.41 seconds, a Korean record that stands to this day. Then, at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, Chang defended his 200-meter title.
Chang said he was worried that some young athletes would feel intimidated, just as he was in 1983, by competing against the world's best. No South Korean has won a world championships medal, and the host country has set the modest goal of finishing in the top 10 in 10 events.
"You have to overcome that humiliation before you can start afresh," he said. "If you light the fire inside you at these championships and make it a turning point for your life, then you will definitely succeed."
Speaking of his own experience, Chang said he pushed himself even harder after Helsinki, reaching No. 17 in the world in 1985 in the 200-meter.
"If you improve and compete against the best often enough, you will realize they're all human, just like us," Chang said. "And even if you finish last in your heats, you should still feel proud to have competed against the best."
With the looming World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Chang on Friday had words of encouragement to offer young athletes.
"Those entering the world championships for the first time will realize just how difficult it is to compete against world-class athletes," Chang said of the Aug. 27-Sept. 4 event. "But even if you fail, you should never give up."
Chang, former track technical director for the Korea Association of Athletic Federations (KAAF), should know. The 49-year-old was one of three South Koreans who ran at the inaugural world championships in Helsinki, Finland, in 1983. A year earlier, Chang had won an Asian Games gold medal in the 200 meters and a silver medal in the 100 meters.
But in Finland, Chang, the only Asian to qualify for the 200 meters, was so terrified of running alongside top guns that he pulled out of his quarterfinal heat. He was paired with the eventual champion Calvin Smith of the U.S., who ended his career with three world titles and an Olympic gold in sprint events.
"I think I could have gone as far as the semifinals," Chang recalled. "But I was just scared of running against Calvin Smith, who was the best at the time."
Chang bounced back from that embarrassing experience, and won the 200-meter race at the 1985 Asian championships at 20.41 seconds, a Korean record that stands to this day. Then, at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, Chang defended his 200-meter title.
Chang said he was worried that some young athletes would feel intimidated, just as he was in 1983, by competing against the world's best. No South Korean has won a world championships medal, and the host country has set the modest goal of finishing in the top 10 in 10 events.
"You have to overcome that humiliation before you can start afresh," he said. "If you light the fire inside you at these championships and make it a turning point for your life, then you will definitely succeed."
Speaking of his own experience, Chang said he pushed himself even harder after Helsinki, reaching No. 17 in the world in 1985 in the 200-meter.
"If you improve and compete against the best often enough, you will realize they're all human, just like us," Chang said. "And even if you finish last in your heats, you should still feel proud to have competed against the best."
