Sohn Kee-chung
Son Kee -chung, known by its Japanese name Son Kitei ( born August 29, 1912 in Shingishū, at that time the Japanese Empire, today's North Korea, † 15 November 2002 in Daejeon, South Korea) in 1936 together with his team mates Nan Shoryu the first Korea -born medalist at the Olympic Games.
Kitei Son was born in the time when Korea was a province of the Japanese Empire. Although his parents called him Son Kee -chung, due to the alignment policy of the Japanese regional government but he was forced at public appearances, the Japanese pronunciation of his Kanji / Hanja in the name (Japanese孙 基 祯, Son Kitei ) to accept. He received his education at the high school and Yang Jung at Meiji University. In 1935, he ran 2:26:42 in Tokyo with a world record in the marathon and took the following year at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
Son Kitei never denied his Korean origin. So he refused to sign with his Japanese name during the 1936 Olympic Games and occasionally placing the outlines of Korea beside his signature. As at the awards ceremony instead of the former Korean flag was hoisted the flag of Japan, Son broke into tears. Finally Son Kitei ran on August 9, 1936 2:29:19,2 h a new Olympic record and has won more than two minutes ahead of the Briton Ernest Harper Olympic champion.
After his Olympic victory, he was under constant surveillance of Japanese and was not allowed to run marathon during the Japanese rule. He then worked as a coach. Among other things, he oversaw Suh Yun -bok, 1947 winner of the Boston Marathon, Ham Kee -yong, 1950 winner of the Boston Marathon and Hwang Young- Cho, at the 1992 Olympic Games gold medalist in the marathon. At Hwang's son went running a special trip to Barcelona.
Finally son became chairman of the " Korean Sports Association ". When the Olympic Games were held in 1988 in his homeland, was son at the opening of the Olympic torch into the stadium. His memoirs published in son 's autobiography My Country and Marathon ( Kor. 나의 조국 나의 마라톤 ). Son was with the Korean Service Medal ( 국민 훈장 ,国民 勋章) excellent.
Son Kee -chung died on 15 November 2002 at the age of 90 years of pneumonia and was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery Daejeon. On his death, gave him the Cheongryong Medal and the Blue Dragon Order. In his honor the Son Kee - young Park was created.
The Corinthian helmet
The Olympic champion in the marathon should receive a 1936 antique bronzed helmet Corinthian style, which was excavated under Ernst Curtius probably in Olympia in 1875.
The Japanese delegation asked the organizers urgently Son Kitei not to hand over the helmet. Since it anyway contrary to the rules of the IOC, athletes excel with other objects except medals, wandered the helmet in a Berlin museum until almost 50 years later, the Greek daily Vradini researched the story and asked for a subsequent award to Son Kee -chung. This happened in 1986, a year later, the helmet was declared the " Korean National Treasure No. 904 " and has since been in the National Museum of Korea.