Choi Yun-Hee at the Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting 2010 (© Getty Images)
14 June 2011The 65th Korean National Championships were held 9-11 June in Daegu at the same stadium that will host the IAAF World Championships from 27 August to 4 September.
The meet was highlighted by one national record, a 4.40m performance by Choi Yun-Hee in the women’s Pole Vault. The previous record was 4.35m held by Lim Eun-Ji from 2009 who in this competition was a distant second, clearing 3.80m.
In the men’s Pole Vault US-based national record holder Kim Yoo-Suk competed in just his third career National Championships winning for the second time. He has been the country’s number one vaulter for the last nine seasons, but hasn't competed at the nationals due to overlapping with NCAA Championships where his best performance was a second place finish in 2004 with a then 5.60m national record performance. Kim cleared 5.30m to take a narrow victory ahead of the next generation vaulter, 18-year-old Jin Min-Sup, who also cleared 5.30m, a personal best for the youngster. The winner couldn't continue the competition because of a hamstring injury.
Park Tae Myong won the men’s Javelin Throw with a 77.91m effort while Kim Kyung-Ae was best in the women’s javelin with a 58.24m season’s best throw.
Kim Kun-Woo reached a season’s best 7755 points in the Decathlon and Park Tae-Kyong clocked 14.12 in the 110m Hurdles for his fourth straight national title.
Kim Guk-Young was a double winner in the men’s 100m/200m with 10.46/21.42 season’s best results.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
