Korea ranks seventh at Universiade

Korea ranked seventh in the medal count at the 2005 Universiade in Izmir, Turkey, which ended yesterday morning Korean time. The team won 11 gold, 14 silver and nine bronze medals, mostly in the country’s traditional strengths. Five gold medals came in taekwondo, in which Koreans won four out of six golds in the men’s individual weight classes and one in the women’s. Four golds were won in archery, and one each in athletics and fencing.
Russia came in first in the standings with 26 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze medals; followed by China with 21 gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze, and Japan, with 18 gold, 18 silver and 20 bronze. North Korea placed 24th with one gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
Although Korea did not finish in the top five as it had wished, it fared well in sports in which it is traditionally less competitive such as swimming.
Korea’s 24-year-old marathon hopeful Lee Eun-jung won a gold medal in the half-marathon with a time of 1:14:31 last Saturday. Lee holds Korean records in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, and the half-marathon. “After improving my physical strength, I want to try a full marathon and produce a Korean record,” Lee said.

by Limb Jae-un