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| Kim Hyun-sub competes at the IAAF Racewalking Challenge in China in May 2017. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics Athletic Club |
By Kim Se-jeong
During the 2011 Daegu World Athletics Championships, racewalker Kim Hyun-sub finished sixth in the men's 20-kilometer race. Among the five athletes ahead of him, three were Russians.
In 2016, five years later, two Russian athletes, gold and silver medalists at the worlds, were stripped of their medals due to doping charges and the 35-year-old Korean racewalker was lifted to fourth place.
Last month, Kim was again notified that he would now become the bronze medalist as the third-placed Russian athlete was also confirmed to have taken a banned performance-enhancing substance.
The new development made Kim the first South Korean racewalker ever to win a world championship medal. He will receive the overdue bronze medal later this month in Doha, Qatar, where the World Athletic Championships will take place.
"I am happy that I am in the third place. But I wish this had happened during the championships because the game took place in Korea and I could see people getting excited," Kim said.
Testing for doping is not a one-off test. The authorities keep athletes' urine and run the test years after because performance-enhancing substances continue to evolve.
Kim is now eligible for the cash prize from the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) which had gone to the Russian athlete. As the IAAF has no authority to force the Russian athlete to return the money, Kim has to wait until the Russian athlete returns it.
In 2011, the championships organization committee in Daegu also gave the 200 million won cash prize to the bronze medalist. Kim's team contacted the Daegu city government to reclaim the prize, but the request was denied.
"The reason was the organizing committee was disbanded right after the games and there is nobody who can follow up Kim's request," said Lee Ki-duk from Samsung Electronics Athletics Club. The chipmaker sponsors racewalkers and marathoners.
Nevertheless, the development is a big motivating factor for Kim ahead of the Tokyo Olympics next year.
"We've already seen his performance improving significantly (after the bronze medal news)," Lee said.
Kim's knee injury kept him lagging behind for more than a year, and he now must meet the entry standard of 1:21:00 for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Kim's record is one second behind the entry standard and he has 10 months to improve the record.
"It's not like a 100-meter race. One second is not an impossible goal to achieve," he said confidently.
Kim was born in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, to non-athletic parents.
"I liked sports, all kinds."
He was picked up by his teacher for middle-distance running in primary school. When he moved onto middle school, however, his coach saw a lack of talent in him and pushed him to change to racewalking.
"I had no choice but to accept it, because otherwise I had to leave sports forever."
What had really made him stick around was his father. "Because when I started running, I promised him not to give up."
Asked to explain racewalking, Kim said it is a big laughingstock.
"Racewalking makes people laugh a lot. Athletes walk like a duck. It made me laugh a lot too."
And that was in part a reason why he didn't like racewalking in the beginning.
"But I decided to look differently. Because it is funny, people would look at me one more time."
Popularly dubbed power walking, racewalking has one important rule: keeping at least one knee straight. Also important is the distance between the bottom of the feet and the ground. Those two are what referees look for among athletes during the race.
Russians used to be the strongest racewalkers, he said, but Japan has caught up a lot in recent years.
"In fact, Japanese athletes are the most potential winners next year. Japan invested a lot in the game," Kim said. In fact, a Japanese athlete has the 20-kilometer race world record ― 1:16:36.
Racewalkers compete in different distances but 20 kilometers and 50 kilometers are the best-known because they are Olympic events.
Kim tried the 50-kilometer race. "It is a whole different ball game. It is a real tough job. The distance is longer than a marathon. Walking fast for more than three or four hours without rest is very very tiring. You need very special training."
Kim's upcoming race is 2019 World Athletic Championships in Doha later this month.
"I am not aiming so high because I am not fully recovered yet. But my heart is already on Olympics and this will be in preparation for the Olympics."
