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News05 Sep 1999


North Korea celebrates Marathon Queen

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North Korea celebrates "marathon queen"

5 September 1999 – Tokyo (Reuters) - A gold medal brought home to North Korea by World marathon Champion Jong Song-ok has prompted massive celebrations in the Stalinist state, where sports heroes have been few and far between.

One million North Koreans - "raising cheers at the top of their voices" - welcomed home world women's marathon runner Jong from her triumph last week in Seville, official media reported at the weekend.

Jong "significantly adorned the 20th century" with her gold in Seville, said a Korean Central News Agency report monitored in Tokyo. North Korea had never won a medal of any hue at any of the six previous Championships.

The crowd of 1 million formed a 10 kilometre (six mile) parade route for the world women's marathon champion as "the whole country was wrapped in joy and raptures," it said.

Comrades and countrymen sang the song "Welcome to Jong Song-ok" to greet the champion dubbed "the queen of marathon" by official media.

The 25-year-old Jong emerged from obscurity last Sunday to win the world women's marathon in a personal best time of two hours 26 minutes 59 seconds.

"Yes, I am the new marathon runner in the eyes of the rest of the world," Jong said after the race in Spain. "Hopefully they will know me better in the future."

 

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