Kim Kun-Woo
Encyclopedia
Kim Kun-Woo (born 29 February 1980) is a South Korea
n track and field
athlete who competes in the decathlon
. He is a two-time Asian Games
medallist in the event (2006 and 2010), as well having won medals at the Asian Athletics Championships and East Asian Games
.
Kim represented his country at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
. He is a multiple national champion and holds the South Korean record
of 7824 points for the decathlon.
behind Hitoshi Maruono at the 2000 Asian Athletics Championships. He won his first national title in the event at the South Korean Championships that year and went on to win five more from 2001 to 2006. He competed at the 2001 Summer Universiade
but managed only 15th overall. He improved to eighth place at the following edition – the 2003 Daegu Universiade
– and scored a personal best of 7675 points.
Kim set another best at the national championships in 2005, scoring 7774 points. This was followed by strong performances internationally, as he won another continental silver at the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon
and was just 20 points off his best when he took the gold medal
at the 2005 East Asian Games
. The 2006 Korean Championships saw him extend his national winning streak to four editions and his score of 7824 points was a career high and a South Korean record
. The Asian record holder Dmitriy Karpov
was the clear winner at the 2006 Asian Games
but Kim managed to win the bronze medal
behind Vitaliy Smirnov
.
Following a national performance of 7774 points, he attended the 2007 Asian Athletics Championships but failed to match his home form, finishing in fifth place. The 2007 World Championships in Athletics
held in Osaka
saw Kim make his debut on the global stage. He achieved bests in the pole vault
and 110 metres hurdles
and finished in 21st place. In spite of his low finishing place, he was the fastest athlete in the field in the final 1500 metres
event.
After an almost three-year absence from competition, he returned to action to compete at the 2010 Asian Games
. While the 2006 champion Karpov defended his title, Kim managed a score of 7808 points to secure the silver medal – the first time a Korean had achieved the feat in the Asian Games decathlon. During Daegu 2011, he beats the Korean National Record, 7860 points.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who competes in the decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
. He is a two-time Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
medallist in the event (2006 and 2010), as well having won medals at the Asian Athletics Championships and East Asian Games
East Asian Games
The East Asian Games is a multi-sport event organised by the East Asian Games Association and held every four years since 1993 among athletes from East Asian countries and territories of the Olympic Council of Asia , as well as the Pacific island of Guam, which is a member of the Oceania National...
.
Kim represented his country at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
. He is a multiple national champion and holds the South Korean record
South Korean records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in South Korea maintained by the Korean Association of Athletics Federations .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:-External links:* *...
of 7824 points for the decathlon.
Career
He won his first international medal at the age of twenty, taking the decathlon silver medalSilver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
behind Hitoshi Maruono at the 2000 Asian Athletics Championships. He won his first national title in the event at the South Korean Championships that year and went on to win five more from 2001 to 2006. He competed at the 2001 Summer Universiade
Athletics at the 2001 Summer Universiade – Men's decathlon
The men's decathlon competition at the 2001 Summer Universiade took place on 30 August and 31 August 2001 in Beijing, China.-Medalists:-Schedule:*30 August*#100 m*#Long jump*#Shot put*#High jump*#400 m*31 August*# 110 m hurdles...
but managed only 15th overall. He improved to eighth place at the following edition – the 2003 Daegu Universiade
Athletics at the 2003 Summer Universiade – Men's Decathlon
The men's decathlon competition at the 2003 Summer Universiade took place on 28 August and 29 August 2003 in the Daegu World Cup Stadium in Daegu, South Korea.-Medalists:-Schedule:*28 August*#100 m*#Long jump*#Shot put*#High jump*#400 m...
– and scored a personal best of 7675 points.
Kim set another best at the national championships in 2005, scoring 7774 points. This was followed by strong performances internationally, as he won another continental silver at the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
and was just 20 points off his best when he took the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 2005 East Asian Games
Athletics at the 2005 East Asian Games
At the 2005 East Asian Games, the athletics events were held at the Estádio Campo Desportivo in Macau, People's Republic of China from 1–4 November. A total of 45 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 22 by female athletes. China easily topped the medal table, winning 26 of the 45...
. The 2006 Korean Championships saw him extend his national winning streak to four editions and his score of 7824 points was a career high and a South Korean record
South Korean records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in South Korea maintained by the Korean Association of Athletics Federations .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:-External links:* *...
. The Asian record holder Dmitriy Karpov
Dmitriy Karpov
Dmitriy Karpov is an athlete from Kazakhstan who competes in decathlon and heptathlon...
was the clear winner at the 2006 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2006 Asian Games
An Athletics competition was contested at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar from December 7 to December 12. Twenty-three events were contested for the men while 22 were on the slate for the women. Only the 3000 Meter Steeplechase was not contested for by the women...
but Kim managed to win the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
behind Vitaliy Smirnov
Vitaliy Smirnov
Vitaly Frilyevich Smirnov is an Uzbekistani decathlete.He finished tenth at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, won the gold medal at the 2003 Asian Championships in Manila in a personal best score of 8021 points, finished seventeenth at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and won a silver medal...
.
Following a national performance of 7774 points, he attended the 2007 Asian Athletics Championships but failed to match his home form, finishing in fifth place. The 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
held in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
saw Kim make his debut on the global stage. He achieved bests in the pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
and 110 metres hurdles
110 metres hurdles
The 110 metres hurdles is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is incuded in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metre hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurdles of 1.067 metres in height are evenly spaced along a straight...
and finished in 21st place. In spite of his low finishing place, he was the fastest athlete in the field in the final 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
event.
After an almost three-year absence from competition, he returned to action to compete at the 2010 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games was held in Guangzhou, China from 21 to 27 November 2010. A total of 47 events were contested, 24 by men and 23 by women - matching the Olympic athletics programme...
. While the 2006 champion Karpov defended his title, Kim managed a score of 7808 points to secure the silver medal – the first time a Korean had achieved the feat in the Asian Games decathlon. During Daegu 2011, he beats the Korean National Record, 7860 points.