Sports Briefs

MARATHON

Choi Kyung-san just misses out on bronze medal finish

South Korea’s Choi Kyung-sun finished fourth in the women’s marathon at the 18th Asian Games on Sunday.

Choi clocked 2 hours, 37 minutes, 49 seconds on the 42.195-kilometer course that stretched across Jakarta.

Rose Chelimo of Bahrain, a Kenya-born marathoner who topped 2017 World Championships, easily took gold at 2:34:51, followed by Keiko Nogami of Japan, who finished at 2:36:27.

Kim Hye-song of North Korea took bronze at 2:37:20. Her North Korean compatriot, Jo Un-ok, was fifth at 2:38:42, with South Korean Kim Do-yeon coming in sixth at 2:39:28.

South Korea was hoping for its first Asiad medal in the women’s marathon since 1990.

Choi, whose personal best is 2:32:27, was seventh at the halfway mark and ran with the leading group until the 25km mark. But the 26-year-old ran out of gas as she was approaching Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Main Stadium in Jakarta. Choi finished the 40km point at 2:29:35, 28 seconds behind Kim, who by then was competing for silver with Nogami.

SKATEBOARDING

Teen skaters ready to shred the competition in Jakarta

Korea’s teenage skateboarders will make their Asian Games debut on Tuesday, hoping to make history at the quadrennial event.

The skaters will participate in the park and street events during the first skateboarding competition at the Asian Games.

Korea will send Eun Ju-won, 17, and Yoon Ji-woong, 13, to the men’s skateboarding park event. For street, where contestants skate in a course of urban obstacles like stairs and handrails, Choi Eu-gene, 16, and Han Jae-jin, 13, will compete.

Korea gives a military service exemption to athletes who earn a gold medal at the Asian Games, meaning these teenagers can earn the privilege even before they receive conscription documents.

Yonhap