ID :
198452
Mon, 08/01/2011 - 11:03
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/198452
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Marathoner Ji cut from team before world championships
(Daegu Athletics) SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- Ji Young-jun, the fastest active male marathoner for South Korea, was cut from the national team on Monday before the upcoming world championships, dealing a blow to the country's medal hopes in the race.
The Korea Association of Athletic Federations (KAAF) said Ji, 29, has been left off the team, along with Park Joo-young, who is injured. After battling injuries and off-field issues all year, Ji hasn't completed a full marathon of 42.195 kilometers in 2011.
The World Championships in Athletics, held by the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), are scheduled for Aug. 27-Sept. 4 in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Ji holds the best time among active South Korean runners with 2 hours, 8 minutes and 30 seconds. He had been expected to help South Korea reach the podium in the team event, which awards medals on the times of the three fastest runners for each nation.
The Korean national record is 2:07:20, set by Lee Bong-ju in 2002.
"Ji is the top marathoner for Korea but he has problems with his quadriceps," said Hwang Young-jo, former Olympic marathon gold medalist and the KAAF's technical director for marathon. "He hasn't finished a full race this year and hasn't had enough training, so we decided to leave him off the team."
Ji won the gold at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games in November but had since struggled to stay in form.
In a half-marathon event in February, Ji ran 17km and jogged the rest of the race. Ji sat out the Seoul International Marathon in March with the flu, and missed the Daegu International Marathon in April due to quad pains.
In June and July, Ji came under police investigation after being accused of taking performance enhancing substances. He was later cleared of his charges, but Hwang said Ji had trouble regrouping afterward.
The KAAF said Ji recently completed some 35??? to 40??? practice runs but complained of more quad pains last week.
The men's marathon team will now be led by Jeong Jin-hyuk, who has a personal best of 2:09:28. Kim Min, who ran 2:13:11 last year, will replace Ji.
Hwang noted Kim's work ethic, but there are question marks about the 22-year-old's endurance.
At this year's Seoul International Marathon, Kim had to withdraw because of hypothermia. At the Daegu International, he walked his final 7??? to the finish line.
The Korea Association of Athletic Federations (KAAF) said Ji, 29, has been left off the team, along with Park Joo-young, who is injured. After battling injuries and off-field issues all year, Ji hasn't completed a full marathon of 42.195 kilometers in 2011.
The World Championships in Athletics, held by the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), are scheduled for Aug. 27-Sept. 4 in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Ji holds the best time among active South Korean runners with 2 hours, 8 minutes and 30 seconds. He had been expected to help South Korea reach the podium in the team event, which awards medals on the times of the three fastest runners for each nation.
The Korean national record is 2:07:20, set by Lee Bong-ju in 2002.
"Ji is the top marathoner for Korea but he has problems with his quadriceps," said Hwang Young-jo, former Olympic marathon gold medalist and the KAAF's technical director for marathon. "He hasn't finished a full race this year and hasn't had enough training, so we decided to leave him off the team."
Ji won the gold at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games in November but had since struggled to stay in form.
In a half-marathon event in February, Ji ran 17km and jogged the rest of the race. Ji sat out the Seoul International Marathon in March with the flu, and missed the Daegu International Marathon in April due to quad pains.
In June and July, Ji came under police investigation after being accused of taking performance enhancing substances. He was later cleared of his charges, but Hwang said Ji had trouble regrouping afterward.
The KAAF said Ji recently completed some 35??? to 40??? practice runs but complained of more quad pains last week.
The men's marathon team will now be led by Jeong Jin-hyuk, who has a personal best of 2:09:28. Kim Min, who ran 2:13:11 last year, will replace Ji.
Hwang noted Kim's work ethic, but there are question marks about the 22-year-old's endurance.
At this year's Seoul International Marathon, Kim had to withdraw because of hypothermia. At the Daegu International, he walked his final 7??? to the finish line.
