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Kim Hye-gyong

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In this Korean name, the family name is Kim.
Kim Hye-gyong
Kim Hye-gyong running
Kim Hye-gyong at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Russia
Personal information
Born (1993-03-09) 9 March 1993 (age 31)
Sariwon, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea
Height153 cm (5 ft 0 in)[1]
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl
김혜경
Revised RomanizationGim Hyegyeong
McCune–ReischauerKim Hyegyŏng
Sport
Country North Korea
SportAthletics
EventMarathon
TeamPyongyang Sports Team
Coached byJong Myong-chol
Achievements and titles
World finals
  • 2013: Marathon – 8th
Highest world ranking8th (marathon, 2013)
Personal bestMarathon: 2:28:32[2]
Medal record
Gold medal – first place 2015 Hong Kong Marathon
Updated on 5 September 2015

Kim Hye-gyong (Korean: 김혜경; Korean pronunciation: [kim.ɦe.ɡjʌŋ] or [kim] [he.ɡjʌŋ]; born 9 March 1993) is a North Korean long-distance runner.[2]

Marathoner Kim Hye-song is her sister. They are fraternal twins. Hye-gyong is the younger.[1] Their mutual coach, Jong Myong-chol, describes their healthy rivalry in races and friendship as the key to their success. According to Jong, Hye-gyong has a livelier personality of the twins and trains harder.[3] Together they train five times a week, running 25–30 km (16–19 mi) a day.[3]

The sisters Kim, along with Kim Mi-gyong (no relation) are considered the most prominent of North Korean female marathoners today.[4] Kim Hye-gyong represents the Pyongyang Sports Team.[5] She has a brother, a marathoner representing the April 25 Sports Team.[6]

Career

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Kim is from Sariwon, North Hwanghae Province.[4] Already physically active in kindergarten,[6] she and her sister started running in middle-school at the age of 14. They were proven good runners and Kim won many competitions.[4][6] Kim's ability to maintain high speed and good composure in particular made her stand out.[6] The sisters' father was a marathon coach at that time.[7] Kim trained at Kumchon County Juvenile Sports School.[6] The sisters then moved to the capital Pyongyang.[4] Kim subsequently won events such as 5,000 m, 10,000 m and 30 km in domestic tournaments like the 2009 Jonsung Cup and the 2011 national championships.[6][7]

After having won the half marathon at the 2010 Pyongyang Marathon, she was selected to represent North Korea as a part of the national team. She went on to win the 2011 half marathon and coming second at the 2012 full marathon in Pyongyang, too. These results earned North Korea a berth to the 2012 London Olympics.[7] However, Kim was not among those who raced there.[8]

Kim's standing of 8th at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics brought her fame in her just second ever race abroad.[3]

Kim then took a surprise victory over many East African favorites at the 2015 Hong Kong Marathon serving as that year's Asian Marathon Championship, taking home a $65,000 prize. Sports journalist Pat Butcher considered the victory an important step toward the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, saying: "This is a huge win for North Korea. The last time a woman from North Korea won the world championships was in 1999 in Seville. Maybe this could be Kim's year".[9][a] Kim started in the women's marathon at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China, but did not finish the race.[10]

Achievements

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2011 2011 Summer Universiade Shenzhen, China — Half marathon DNF[11]
2012 Pyongyang Marathon Pyongyang, North Korea 2nd[12] Marathon 2:31:29[2]
2013 Pyongyang Marathon Pyongyang, North Korea 2nd[12] Marathon 2:28:32[2]
2013 World Championships in Athletics Moscow, Russia 8th[4] Marathon 2:35:49[2]
Great Eastern Women's Run Singapore 1st Half marathon 1:15:59[13]
2014 Pyongyang Marathon Pyongyang, North Korea 1st[12] Marathon 2:27:05[2]
2014 Asian Games Incheon, South Korea 7th[4] Marathon 2:36:38[1]
2015 15th Asian Marathon Championship Hong Kong 1st Marathon 2:31:46[4]
2015 World Championships in Athletics Beijing, China — Marathon DNF[10]

Notes and references

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  1. ^ The last and only time North Korea has won a medal at the World Championships in Athletics was Jong Song-ok's women's marathon gold at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Kim Han-joo (2 October 2014). "(Asiad) N. Korean twin runners compete in women's marathon". english.yonhapnews.co.kr. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "IAAF: Athlete profile for Hye-Gyong Kim". iaaf.org. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "N. Koreans out to impress". The Straits Times. AsiaOne. 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2015.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "IAAF: Kim Hye Gyong surprises with Hong Kong Marathon win". iaaf.org. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Twin Sisters, Talented Marathoners of DPRK". Korean Central News Agency. 20 April 2015. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Promising Girl Marathoner". Naenara. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  7. ^ a b c Choe Chol Nam (14 March 2015). "First gold medallist of the year". The Pyongyang Times. Naenara. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Marathon women results - Athletics - London 2012 Olympics". olympic.org. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  9. ^ Sallay, Alvin (26 January 2015). "North Korea best as Kim Hye-gyong fends off African challenge to win women's marathon". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Results / Marathon Women - Final". iaafbeijing2015.com. 30 August 2015. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Longgang Marathon Road Course. Athletics. Half Marathon Women. Final. Results" (PDF). 21 August 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  12. ^ a b c Minshull, Phil (13 April 2014). "IAAF: Chol and Gyong take the honours in Pyongyang". iaaf.org. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  13. ^ Chen, May (10 November 2013). "North Korean twin sisters take top two spots at Great Eastern Women's Run 2013". The Straits Times. Retrieved 22 August 2015.

Further reading

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