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	{{Short description\|Korean marathon runner (1912–2002)}}		{{Short description\|Korean marathon runner (1912–2002)}}
	{{Use ~~mdy~~ ~~dates~~\|date=~~June~~ ~~2015~~}}		{{Use American English\|date=July 2024}}
			{{Use mdy dates\|date=July 2024}}
	{{family name hatnote\|]\|\|lang=Korean}}		{{family name hatnote\|]\|\|lang=Korean}}
	{{Infobox sportsperson		{{Infobox sportsperson
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	\| fullname =		\| fullname =
	\| nickname =		\| nickname =
	\| nationality = {{JAP}}(1912~1945) > {{KOR}}(1945~2002)
	\| citizenship =		\| citizenship =
	\| residence =		\| residence =
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1912\|08\|29}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1912\|08\|29}}
	\| birth_place = ], ], ] ~~(now Sinuiju, ], ])~~		\| birth_place = ], ], ]
	\| death_date = {{death date and age\|2002\|11\|15\|1912\|08\|29}}		\| death_date = {{death date and age\|2002\|11\|15\|1912\|08\|29}}
	\| death_place = ], ]		\| death_place = ], ]
			\| resting_place = ]
	\| monuments =		\| monuments =
	\| education =		\| education =
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	}}		}}

	'''Sohn Kee-chung''' ({{~~lang-~~ko\|손기정}}; {{IPA-ko\|son.kidʑʌŋ}}; August 29, 1912<ref name=Lewis>{{cite news\|last=Lewis\|first=Mike\|title=Sohn Kee-chung: Korean athlete whose Olympic protest made him a national hero\|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/nov/30/guardianobituaries\|access-date=April 24, 2013\|newspaper=]\|date=November 29, 2002}}</ref><ref name=ARRS>{{cite web\|url=https://www.arrs.run/MaraRank/ATM_Mara1935.htm \|title=World Marathon Rankings for 1935 \|publisher=Association of Road Racing Statisticians \|date=September 20, 2009 \|access-date=November 15, 2010}}</ref> – November 15, 2002) was an Olympic athlete and long-distance runner. He became the first ~~ethnic~~ Korean to win a medal at the ], winning gold in the ] at the ]. He was born in the Korean Peninsula, but he competed as a member of the ] because Korea was under Japanese ~~occupation~~ at the time.<ref name="sr">{{Cite web \|date=~~2020-04-~~17 \|title=Son Gi-Jeong Bio, Stats, and Results {{!}} Olympics at Sports-Reference.com \|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/so/son-gi-jeong-1.html \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417084436/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/so/son-gi-jeong-1.html \|archive-date=April 17, 2020 \|access-date=2024~~-06-08~~ ~~\|website=web.archive.org~~}}</ref> Sohn set an Olympic record of 2 hours 29 minutes 19.2 seconds.<ref name="longman"/>		'''Sohn Kee-chung''' ({{langx\|ko\|손기정}}; {{IPA\|ko\|son.kidʑʌŋ}}; August 29, 1912<ref name=Lewis>{{cite news\|last=Lewis\|first=Mike\|title=Sohn Kee-chung: Korean athlete whose Olympic protest made him a national hero\|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/nov/30/guardianobituaries\|access-date=April 24, 2013\|newspaper=]\|date=November 29, 2002}}</ref><ref name=ARRS>{{cite web\|url=https://www.arrs.run/MaraRank/ATM_Mara1935.htm \|title=World Marathon Rankings for 1935 \|publisher=Association of Road Racing Statisticians \|date=September 20, 2009 \|access-date=November 15, 2010}}</ref> – November 15, 2002) was a Korean-Japanese Olympic athlete and long-distance runner. He became the first Korean to win a medal at the ], winning gold in the ] at the ]. He was born in the Korean Peninsula, but he competed as a member of the ] because Korea was under ] at the time.<ref name="sr">{{Cite web \|date=April 17, 2020 \|title=Son Gi-Jeong Bio, Stats, and Results {{!}} Olympics at Sports-Reference.com \|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/so/son-gi-jeong-1.html \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417084436/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/so/son-gi-jeong-1.html \|archive-date=April 17, 2020 \|access-date=June 8, 2024 }}</ref> Sohn set an Olympic record of 2 hours 29 minutes 19.2 seconds.<ref name="longman"/>

	Sohn competed under the Japanese name '''{{transliteration\|ja\|Kitei Son}}''', as ] during his career.<ref name=sr/><ref name="longman">{{cite web\|last=Longman\|first=Jeré\|title=Korean Olympic Hero Championed Liberty\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/sports/olympics/15korea.html\|work=]\|date=November 14, 2009\|access-date=July 27, 2021}}</ref>		Sohn competed under the Japanese name '''{{transliteration\|ja\|Kitei Son}}''', as ] during his career.<ref name=sr/><ref name="longman">{{cite web\|last=Longman\|first=Jeré\|title=Korean Olympic Hero Championed Liberty\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/sports/olympics/15korea.html\|work=]\|date=November 14, 2009\|access-date=July 27, 2021}}</ref>

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Sohn Kee-chung was born on August 29, 1912 in ] (then "Shingishū"), ], ] (now in North Korea).<ref name=":0">{{Citation \|last=정 \|first=찬모 \|title=손기정 (孫基禎) \|~~work~~=] \|url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0067205 \|access-date=2024~~-06-08~~ \|publisher=] \|language=ko}}</ref><ref name="Lewis" /><ref name="sr" /> He was born into the {{Ill\|Miryang Son clan\|ko\|밀양 손씨}}.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=밀성손씨 - 디지털밀양문화대전 \|url=http://www.grandculture.net/miryang/index/GC08700750?category=%EC%9D%B8%EB%AA%85&depth=2&name=%EC%82%AC&page=7&search=%EC%86%90%EA%B8%B0%EC%A0%95 \|access-date=~~2023-10-~~18 \|website=]}}</ref>		Sohn Kee-chung was born on August 29, 1912, in ] (then "Shingishū"), ], ] (now in North Korea).<ref name=":0">{{Citation \|last=정 \|first=찬모 \|title=손기정 (孫基禎) \|encyclopedia=] \|url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0067205 \|access-date=June 8, 2024 \|publisher=] \|language=ko}}</ref><ref name="Lewis" /><ref name="sr" /> He was born into the {{Ill\|Miryang Son clan\|ko\|밀양 손씨}}.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=밀성손씨 - 디지털밀양문화대전 \|url=http://www.grandculture.net/miryang/index/GC08700750?category=%EC%9D%B8%EB%AA%85&depth=2&name=%EC%82%AC&page=7&search=%EC%86%90%EA%B8%B0%EC%A0%95 \|access-date=October 18, 2023 \|website=]}}</ref>

	Sohn reportedly had a talent for running even at a young age. In sixth grade, he placed first in a regional 5 km race, beating out older competitors.<ref name=":0" /> He studied at ] in Seoul, which was reputed for its ] program.<ref name=":0" /> He then enrolled in ] in Tokyo, where he graduated in 1940.		Sohn reportedly had a talent for running even at a young age. In sixth grade, he placed first in a regional 5 km race, beating out older competitors.<ref name=":0" /> He studied at ] in Seoul, which was reputed for its ] program.<ref name=":0" /> He then enrolled in ] in Tokyo, where he graduated in 1940.{{citation needed\|date=September 2024}}

	==Athletics career==		==Athletics career==
	In 1931, he ran as the representative of his province at the ] Competition ({{Korean\|hangul=조선신궁대회\|labels=no}}) in Seoul (]), and placed first. In 1932, he came in second in the Kyŏngyŏng Race ({{Korean\|hangul=경영 마라톤대회\|labels=no}}), which was hosted by newspaper '']''. In April 1932, he won the Tokyo-Yokohama '']'' (road race).<ref name=":0" />		In 1931, he ran as the representative of his province at the ] Competition ({{Korean\|hangul=조선신궁대회\|labels=no}}) in Seoul (]), and placed first. In 1932, he came in second in the Kyŏngyŏng Race ({{Korean\|hangul=경영 마라톤대회\|labels=no}}), which was hosted by newspaper '']''. In April 1932, he won the Tokyo-Yokohama '']'' (road race).<ref name=":0" />

	Sohn first competed in the 1,500 and 5,000 m, but turned to longer distances after winning the Chōsen Shrine Competition in October 1933.<ref name=":0" /> Between 1933 and 1936, he ran 12 marathons; he finished in the top three on all occasions and won nine.<ref name=sr/> On November 3, 1935 in ], ], Sohn set a ] with a time of 2:26:42, which broke the world record 2:26:44 set by ] of Japan at the Berlin Olympic trials on April 3, 1935, in Tokyo, Japan.<ref name="IAAF">{{cite web\|title=12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009. \|url=http://www.iaaf.org/mm/document/competitions/competition/05/15/63/20090706014834_httppostedfile_p345-688_11303.pdf \|publisher=IAAF Media & Public Relations Department \|location=Monte Carlo \|page=565 \|date=2009 \|access-date=July 29, 2009 \|url-status=unfit \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806172743/http://www.iaaf.org/mm/document/competitions/competition/05/15/63/20090706014834_httppostedfile_p345-688_11303.pdf \|archive-date=August 6, 2009 }}</ref><ref>. Marathonguide.com. Retrieved on June 9, 2015.</ref> According to the ], the record remained unbroken until Sohn's own trainee, ], won the 1947 ].<ref name="IAAF" /><ref>However, Suh’s performance was set on a course considered to be short by some{{who\|date=August 2017}} road racing authorities, which means Sohn's world record would have lasted until the early 1950s. (See the Association of Road Racing Statistician's web pages regarding the and .)</ref> Unofficially, he ran a marathon with a time under 2:24 on April 27, 1935 in Seoul, South Korea.		Sohn first competed in the 1,500 and 5,000 m, but turned to longer distances after winning the Chōsen Shrine Competition in October 1933.<ref name=":0" /> Between 1933 and 1936, he ran 12 marathons; he finished in the top three on all occasions and won nine.<ref name=sr/> On November 3, 1935, in ], ], Sohn set a ] with a time of 2:26:42, which broke the world record 2:26:44 set by ] of Japan at the Berlin Olympic trials on April 3, 1935, in Tokyo, Japan.<ref name="IAAF">{{cite web\|title=12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009. \|url=http://www.iaaf.org/mm/document/competitions/competition/05/15/63/20090706014834_httppostedfile_p345-688_11303.pdf \|publisher=IAAF Media & Public Relations Department \|location=Monte Carlo \|page=565 \|date=2009 \|access-date=July 29, 2009 \|url-status=unfit \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806172743/http://www.iaaf.org/mm/document/competitions/competition/05/15/63/20090706014834_httppostedfile_p345-688_11303.pdf \|archive-date=August 6, 2009 }}</ref><ref>. Marathonguide.com. Retrieved on June 9, 2015.</ref> According to the ], the record remained unbroken until Sohn's own trainee, ], won the 1947 ].<ref name="IAAF" /><ref>However, Suh’s performance was set on a course considered to be short by some{{who\|date=August 2017}} road racing authorities, which means Sohn's world record would have lasted until the early 1950s. (See the Association of Road Racing Statistician's web pages regarding the and .)</ref> Unofficially, he ran a marathon with a time under 2:24 on April 27, 1935, in Seoul, South Korea.

	==1936 Berlin Olympics==		==1936 Berlin Olympics==
	]		]
	Sohn, competing for the ], won the ] at the ] in the ]. He ran the {{convert\|42.195\|km}} course in 2:29:19.2, breaking the ].<ref name="longman"/> His teammate ] took the ]. As ] at the time, the ] (IOC) officially credited Japan with Sohn's gold and Nam's bronze in the ].		Sohn, competing for the ], won the ] at the ] in the ]. He ran the {{convert\|42.195\|km}} course in 2:29:19.2, breaking the ].<ref name="longman"/> His teammate ] took the ]. As ] at the time, the ] (IOC) officially credited Japan with Sohn's gold and Nam's bronze in the ].

	On December 9, 2011, the IOC recognized Sohn's Korean nationality in his official profile. It cited his efforts to sign his Korean name and his stress on Korea's status as a separate nation during interviews. The move was part of the Korean Olympic Committee's repeated requests to acknowledge Sohn's background. However, the IOC ruled out changing the nationality and registered name per official records to prevent historical distortions.<ref>. English.chosun.com (December 16, 2011). Retrieved on 2015~~-06-09~~.</ref>		On December 9, 2011, the IOC recognized Sohn's Korean nationality in his official profile. It cited his efforts to sign his Korean name and his stress on Korea's status as a separate nation during interviews. The move was part of the Korean Olympic Committee's repeated requests to acknowledge Sohn's background. However, the IOC ruled out changing the nationality and registered name per official records to prevent historical distortions.<ref>. English.chosun.com (December 16, 2011). Retrieved on June 9, 2015.</ref>

	===Political significance ===		===Political significance ===
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	=== Hellenic prize ===		=== Hellenic prize ===
	For winning the marathon, Sohn was to have received an ancient ] from the ], which was discovered at ], and later purchased by a newspaper in Athens to give as an Olympic award. However, the IOC believed that presenting such a valuable gift to a runner would violate its amateur rules. The helmet was placed in a ] and remained there for 50 years. It was finally presented to Sohn in 1986.<ref>{{cite news\|author=James Markham\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/18/world/germans-look-back-gingerly-to-the-36-games.html\|title=GERMANS LOOK BACK, GINGERLY, TO THE '36 GAMES\|newspaper=]\|date=August 18, 1986}}</ref><ref>. Reuters. August 10, 1986</ref> Sohn donated the helmet to the ], which designated it as the 904th and only Western ].<ref name="nmk904">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.museum.go.kr/site/eng/relic/represent/view?relicId=4359 \|title=Ancient Greek Bronze Helmet \|website=] \|access-date=~~2020-04-~~28}}</ref> There was initially a plan to award replicas of this helmet to the winners of the 2006 Sohn Kee-chung marathon,<ref>{{cite news\|url=http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/sports/baseball/158635.html\|title=손기정 평화마라톤 우승자에 '청동투구' 수여(Korean)\|newspaper=]\|date=September 20, 2006}}</ref> but they eventually got only a chance to wear a replica.<ref>{{cite news\|url=http://media.daum.net/society/nation/others/view.html?cateid=100011&newsid=20061111144710635&p=yonhap\|title='손기정 평화마라톤' 임진각서 열려(Korean)\|publisher=Media Daum/Yonhap News Agency\|date=November 11, 2006}}</ref>		For winning the marathon, Sohn was to have received an ancient ] from the 8th century BC, which was discovered at ], and later purchased by a newspaper in Athens to give as an Olympic award. However, the IOC believed that presenting such a valuable gift to a runner would violate its amateur rules. The helmet was placed in a ] and remained there for 50 years. It was finally presented to Sohn in 1986.<ref>{{cite news\|author=James Markham\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/18/world/germans-look-back-gingerly-to-the-36-games.html\|title=GERMANS LOOK BACK, GINGERLY, TO THE '36 GAMES\|newspaper=]\|date=August 18, 1986}}</ref><ref>. Reuters. August 10, 1986</ref> Sohn donated the helmet to the ], which designated it as the 904th and only Western ].<ref name="nmk904">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.museum.go.kr/site/eng/relic/represent/view?relicId=4359 \|title=Ancient Greek Bronze Helmet \|website=] \|access-date=April 28, 2020}}</ref> There was initially a plan to award replicas of this helmet to the winners of the 2006 Sohn Kee-chung marathon,<ref>{{cite news\|url=http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/sports/baseball/158635.html\|title=손기정 평화마라톤 우승자에 '청동투구' 수여(Korean)\|newspaper=]\|date=September 20, 2006}}</ref> but they eventually got only a chance to wear a replica.<ref>{{cite news\|url=http://media.daum.net/society/nation/others/view.html?cateid=100011&newsid=20061111144710635&p=yonhap\|title='손기정 평화마라톤' 임진각서 열려(Korean)\|publisher=Media Daum/Yonhap News Agency\|date=November 11, 2006}}</ref>

	==Later life==		==Later life==
	] that was awarded to Sohn Kee-chung, on display at the National Museum of Korea.]]		] that was awarded to Sohn Kee-chung, on display at the National Museum of Korea.]]
	Sohn was the team manager for the Korea at the ] and ] and was the nation's flag bearer in the ].<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/72608 \|title=Son Gi-Jeong \|website=olympedia.org \|access-date=7 January 2024}}</ref> Sohn spent the remainder of his career in South Korea coaching other notable runners such as ], the winner of the ] in 1947;<ref name=sr/> ], winner of the ] in 1950; and ], who was the gold medalist of the ] marathon, and whom Sohn Kee-chung especially went to Barcelona to see. Sohn also became the Vice Chairman of the ]. At the ] in Seoul, he was given the honor of carrying the ] in the ] during the opening ceremony.<ref name=sr/><ref name="sohn" />		Sohn was the team manager for the Korea at the ] and ] and was the nation's flag bearer in the ].<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/72608 \|title=Son Gi-Jeong \|website=olympedia.org \|access-date=January 7, 2024}}</ref> Sohn spent the remainder of his career in South Korea coaching other notable runners such as ], the winner of the ] in 1947;<ref name=sr/> ], winner of the ] in 1950; and ], who was the gold medalist of the ] marathon, and whom Sohn Kee-chung especially went to Barcelona to see. Sohn also became the Vice Chairman of the ]. At the ] in Seoul, he was given the honor of carrying the ] in the ] during the opening ceremony.<ref name=sr/><ref name="sohn" />

	Sohn authored an autobiography entitled ''My Motherland ~~and~~ Marathon'' ({{lang\|ko-Hang\|~~나의조국과~~ 마라톤}}).		Sohn authored an autobiography entitled ''My Motherland, My Marathon'' ({{lang\|ko-Hang\|나의 조국 나의 마라톤}}).<ref>{{Cite web \|last=엄 \|first=민용 \|date=September 25, 2022 \|title= 손기정 자서전 '나의 조국 나의 마라톤' 나왔다 \|url=https://sports.khan.co.kr/bizlife/sk_index.html?art_id=202209251502003&sec_id=564101 \|access-date=June 8, 2024 \|website=sports.khan.co.kr \|language=ko}}</ref>

	He was ~~honoured~~ with the ].		He was honored with the ].

	==Death and legacy==		==Death and legacy==
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	==In popular culture==		==In popular culture==
	Sohn appears in ] author ]'s semi-autobiographical novel ''The End of August'' ({{lang\|~~ko-Hani~~\|『８月の果て』}}) about her grandfather, Yang Im-deuk, who was a rival of Sohn's when they were young.		Sohn appears in ] author ]'s semi-autobiographical novel ''The End of August'' ({{lang\|ja\|8月の果て}}) about her grandfather, Yang Im-deuk, who was a rival of Sohn's when they were young.

	===Actors who played Sohn Kee-chung===		===Actors who played Sohn Kee-chung===
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Revision as of 05:39, 6 December 2024

Korean marathon runner (1912–2002)

In this Korean name, the family name is Sohn.

Sohn Kee-chung

Sohn in 1936

Personal information

Native name

손기정

Born

(1912-08-29)August 29, 1912
Shingishu, Heianhoku-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan

Died

November 15, 2002(2002-11-15) (aged 90)
Seoul, South Korea

Resting place

Daejeon National Cemetery

Height

1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)

Weight

60 kg (132 lb)

Korean name

손기정

孫基禎

Son Gijeong

Son Kijŏng

Sport

Athletics

Now coaching

Ham Kee-Yong, Suh Yun-Bok

Achievements and titles

Olympic finals

1936 Summer Olympics: Men's marathon; Gold

Medal record

Representing Japan

Olympic Games
	1936 Berlin	Marathon

Sohn Kee-chung (Korean: 손기정; Korean pronunciation: [son.kidʑʌŋ]; August 29, 1912 – November 15, 2002) was a Korean-Japanese Olympic athlete and long-distance runner. He became the first Korean to win a medal at the Olympic Games, winning gold in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He was born in the Korean Peninsula, but he competed as a member of the Japanese delegation because Korea was under Japanese rule at the time. Sohn set an Olympic record of 2 hours 29 minutes 19.2 seconds.

Sohn competed under the Japanese name Kitei Son, as Korea was under Japanese occupation during his career.

Early life

Sohn Kee-chung was born on August 29, 1912, in Sinuiju (then "Shingishū"), Heianhoku-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan (now in North Korea). He was born into the Miryang Son clan [ko].

Sohn reportedly had a talent for running even at a young age. In sixth grade, he placed first in a regional 5 km race, beating out older competitors. He studied at Yangchung High School in Seoul, which was reputed for its track and field program. He then enrolled in Meiji University in Tokyo, where he graduated in 1940.

Athletics career

In 1931, he ran as the representative of his province at the Chōsen Shrine Competition (조선신궁대회) in Seoul (Keijō), and placed first. In 1932, he came in second in the Kyŏngyŏng Race (경영 마라톤대회), which was hosted by newspaper The Dong-A Ilbo. In April 1932, he won the Tokyo-Yokohama ekiden (road race).

Sohn first competed in the 1,500 and 5,000 m, but turned to longer distances after winning the Chōsen Shrine Competition in October 1933. Between 1933 and 1936, he ran 12 marathons; he finished in the top three on all occasions and won nine. On November 3, 1935, in Tokyo, Japan, Sohn set a world record in the marathon with a time of 2:26:42, which broke the world record 2:26:44 set by Yasuo Ikenaka of Japan at the Berlin Olympic trials on April 3, 1935, in Tokyo, Japan. According to the International Association of Athletics Federations, the record remained unbroken until Sohn's own trainee, Suh Yun-Bok, won the 1947 Boston Marathon. Unofficially, he ran a marathon with a time under 2:24 on April 27, 1935, in Seoul, South Korea.

1936 Berlin Olympics

Sohn, competing for the Empire of Japan, won the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics in the marathon. He ran the 42.195 kilometres (26.219 mi) course in 2:29:19.2, breaking the Olympic record. His teammate Nam Sung-yong took the bronze medal. As Korea was under Japanese rule at the time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially credited Japan with Sohn's gold and Nam's bronze in the 1936 Summer Olympics medal count.

On December 9, 2011, the IOC recognized Sohn's Korean nationality in his official profile. It cited his efforts to sign his Korean name and his stress on Korea's status as a separate nation during interviews. The move was part of the Korean Olympic Committee's repeated requests to acknowledge Sohn's background. However, the IOC ruled out changing the nationality and registered name per official records to prevent historical distortions.

Political significance

Under orders from Tokyo, Sohn Kee-chung had to compete using the Latin alphabet name of Son Kitei. It is the romanization of the Japanese pronunciation of his Korean name in hanja.

Sohn refused to acknowledge the Japanese anthem while it was played at his award ceremony and later told reporters that he was ashamed to run for Japan. When the Dong-a Ilbo published a photograph of Sohn at the medal ceremony, it altered the image to remove the Japanese flag from his running tunic. The act enraged the Japanese Governor-General of Korea Minami Jiro in Seoul. The Kempetai military police imprisoned eight people connected with the newspaper and suspended its publication for nine months.

Hellenic prize

For winning the marathon, Sohn was to have received an ancient Corinthian helmet from the 8th century BC, which was discovered at Olympia, Greece, and later purchased by a newspaper in Athens to give as an Olympic award. However, the IOC believed that presenting such a valuable gift to a runner would violate its amateur rules. The helmet was placed in a Berlin museum and remained there for 50 years. It was finally presented to Sohn in 1986. Sohn donated the helmet to the National Museum of Korea, which designated it as the 904th and only Western National Treasure. There was initially a plan to award replicas of this helmet to the winners of the 2006 Sohn Kee-chung marathon, but they eventually got only a chance to wear a replica.

Later life

Sohn was the team manager for the Korea at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics and was the nation's flag bearer in the London 1948 opening ceremony. Sohn spent the remainder of his career in South Korea coaching other notable runners such as Suh Yun-Bok, the winner of the Boston Marathon in 1947; Ham Kee-Yong, winner of the Boston Marathon in 1950; and Hwang Young-Cho, who was the gold medalist of the 1992 Summer Olympics marathon, and whom Sohn Kee-chung especially went to Barcelona to see. Sohn also became the Vice Chairman of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, he was given the honor of carrying the Olympic torch in the stadium during the opening ceremony.

Sohn authored an autobiography entitled My Motherland, My Marathon (나의 조국 나의 마라톤).

He was honored with the Moran Class of the Korean Order of Civil Merit.

Death and legacy

Sohn died at midnight on November 15, 2002, at age 90 from pneumonia. He was buried at the Daejeon National Cemetery. The Sohn Kee-chung Park in Seoul was established in his honor. He was also posthumously made a Grand Cordon (Blue Dragon) of the Order of Sport Merit.

In popular culture

Sohn appears in Zainichi author Yu Miri's semi-autobiographical novel The End of August (8月の果て) about her grandfather, Yang Im-deuk, who was a rival of Sohn's when they were young.

Actors who played Sohn Kee-chung

Portrayed by Yoon Hee-won in the 2011 film My Way.
Portrayed by Ha Jung-woo in the 2023 film Road to Boston.

References

^ Lewis, Mike (November 29, 2002). "Sohn Kee-chung: Korean athlete whose Olympic protest made him a national hero". The Guardian. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
"World Marathon Rankings for 1935". Association of Road Racing Statisticians. September 20, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
^ "Son Gi-Jeong Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". April 17, 2020. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
^ Longman, Jeré (November 14, 2009). "Korean Olympic Hero Championed Liberty". The New York Times. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
^ 정, 찬모, "손기정 (孫基禎)", Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved June 8, 2024
"밀성손씨 - 디지털밀양문화대전". Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
^ "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. p. 565. Archived from the original on August 6, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
Men's World Record Times – 1932 to 1938. Marathonguide.com. Retrieved on June 9, 2015.
However, Suh’s performance was set on a course considered to be short by some road racing authorities, which means Sohn's world record would have lasted until the early 1950s. (See the Association of Road Racing Statistician's web pages regarding the Boston Marathon and World Best Progressions.)
The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea – Late Recognition for Korean Olympic Athlete Sohn Kee-chung. English.chosun.com (December 16, 2011). Retrieved on June 9, 2015.
Sohn Kee-chung. beijing2008.cn
Bull, Andy (August 27, 2011). "The forgotten story of Sohn Kee-chung, Korea's Olympic hero". The Guardian.
Athletics at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games: Men's Marathon. sports-reference.com
James Markham (August 18, 1986). "GERMANS LOOK BACK, GINGERLY, TO THE '36 GAMES". New York Times.
Marathon Winner in '36 Berlin Games Will Be Given Prize—50 Years Late. Reuters. August 10, 1986
"Ancient Greek Bronze Helmet". National Museum of Korea. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
"손기정 평화마라톤 우승자에 '청동투구' 수여(Korean)". The Hankyoreh. September 20, 2006.
"'손기정 평화마라톤' 임진각서 열려(Korean)". Media Daum/Yonhap News Agency. November 11, 2006.
"Son Gi-Jeong". olympedia.org. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
^ "Sohn Kee-chung". The Korea Times. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
엄, 민용 (September 25, 2022). "[화제의 책] 손기정 자서전 '나의 조국 나의 마라톤' 나왔다". sports.khan.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved June 8, 2024.

External links

Profile on www.olympic.org

Records
Preceded by Yasuo Ikenaka	Men's Marathon World Record Holder November 3, 1935 – April 19, 1947	Succeeded by Suh Yun-Bok
Olympic Games
Preceded byRafer Johnson	Final Summer Olympic Torchbearer 1988 Seoul With: Chung Sun-Man & Kim Won-tak	Succeeded byAntonio Rebollo

v t e Olympic champions in men's marathon
1896: Spyridon Louis (GRE) 1900: Michel Théato (FRA) 1904: Thomas Hicks (USA) 1908: Johnny Hayes (USA) 1912: Ken McArthur (RSA) 1920: Hannes Kolehmainen (FIN) 1924: Albin Stenroos (FIN) 1928: Boughera El Ouafi (FRA) 1932: Juan Carlos Zabala (ARG) 1936: Kitei Son (JPN) 1948: Delfo Cabrera (ARG) 1952: Emil Zátopek (TCH) 1956: Alain Mimoun (FRA) 1960: Abebe Bikila (ETH) 1964: Abebe Bikila (ETH) 1968: Mamo Wolde (ETH) 1972: Frank Shorter (USA) 1976: Waldemar Cierpinski (GDR) 1980: Waldemar Cierpinski (GDR) 1984: Carlos Lopes (POR) 1988: Gelindo Bordin (ITA) 1992: Hwang Young-cho (KOR) 1996: Josia Thugwane (RSA) 2000: Gezahegne Abera (ETH) 2004: Stefano Baldini (ITA) 2008: Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) 2012: Stephen Kiprotich (UGA) 2016: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2020: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2024: Tamirat Tola (ETH)

Olympic champions in men's marathon

v t e World best yearly performance in men's marathon
1921: Florestano Benedetti (ITA) 1922: Gabriel Ruotsalainen (FIN) 1923: Aksel Jensen (DEN) 1924: Shizo Kanaguri (JPN) 1925: Sam Ferris (NIR) 1926: Iivari Rötkö (FIN) 1927: Verner Laaksonen (FIN) 1928: Boughera El Ouafi (FRA) 1929: Harry Payne (GBR) 1930: Fukutaro Shibui (JPN) 1931: Juan Carlos Zabala (ARG) 1932: Tanji Yahagi (JPN) 1933: Kozo Kusunoki (JPN) 1934: Tamao Shiaku (JPN) 1935–36: Sohn Kee-chung (JPN) 1937: Manuel Dias (POR) 1938: Pat Dengis (USA) 1939: Toyu Ko (KOR) 1940: Shoichiro Takenaka (JPN) 1941: Les Pawson (USA) 1942: Zaiten Kimoto (JPN) 1943: Gérard Côté (CAN) 1944: Charles Robbins (USA) 1945: Sven Håkansson (SWE) 1946–48: Mikko Hietanen (FIN) 1949: Salomon Könönen (FIN) 1950: Feodosy Vanin (URS) 1951: Veikko Karvonen (FIN) 1952–54: Jim Peters (ENG) 1955: Veikko Karvonen (FIN) 1956: Paavo Kotila (FIN) 1957–59: Sergei Popov (URS) 1960: Abebe Bikila (ETH) 1961: Takayuki Nakao (JPN) 1962: Yu Mang-Hyang (PRK) 1963: Buddy Edelen (USA) 1964: Abebe Bikila (ETH) 1965: Morio Shigematsu (JPN) 1966: Michael Ryan (NZL) 1967: Derek Clayton (AUS) 1968–69: Bill Adcocks (ENG) 1970: Ron Hill (ENG) 1971: Derek Clayton (AUS) 1972: Frank Shorter (USA) 1973: John Farrington (AUS) 1974: Ian Thompson (ENG) 1975: Bill Rodgers (USA) 1976: Waldemar Cierpinski (GDR) 1977: Bill Rodgers (USA) 1978: Shigeru So (JPN) 1979: Bill Rodgers (USA) 1980: Gerard Nijboer (NED) 1981: Robert de Castella (AUS) 1982: Alberto Salazar (USA) 1983: Robert de Castella (AUS) 1984: Steve Jones (WAL) 1985: Carlos Lopes (POR) 1986: Robert de Castella (AUS) 1987: Takeyuki Nakayama (JPN) 1988: Belayneh Dinsamo (ETH) 1989: Juma Ikangaa (TAN) 1990: Steve Moneghetti (AUS) 1991: Kōichi Morishita (JPN) 1992: David Tsebe (RSA) 1993: Dionicio Cerón (MEX) 1994: Cosmas Ndeti (KEN) 1995: Sammy Lelei (KEN) 1996: Martín Fiz (ESP) 1997: Khalid Khannouchi (MAR) 1998: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 1999: Khalid Khannouchi (MAR) 2000: António Pinto (POR) 2001: Josephat Kiprono (KEN) 2002: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 2003: Paul Tergat (KEN) 2004: Felix Limo (KEN) 2005–08: Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 2009: Duncan Kibet (KEN) 2010–11: Patrick Makau Musyoki (KEN) 2012: Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) 2013: Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich (KEN) 2014: Dennis Kipruto Kimetto (KEN) 2015: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2016: Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 2017–18: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2019: Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 2020: Evans Chebet (KEN) 2021: Bashir Abdi (BEL) 2022: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2023: Kelvin Kiptum (KEN)

World best yearly performance in men's marathon

1921: Florestano Benedetti (ITA)
1922: Gabriel Ruotsalainen (FIN)
1923: Aksel Jensen (DEN)
1924: Shizo Kanaguri (JPN)
1925: Sam Ferris (NIR)
1926: Iivari Rötkö (FIN)
1927: Verner Laaksonen (FIN)
1928: Boughera El Ouafi (FRA)
1929: Harry Payne (GBR)
1930: Fukutaro Shibui (JPN)
1931: Juan Carlos Zabala (ARG)
1932: Tanji Yahagi (JPN)
1933: Kozo Kusunoki (JPN)
1934: Tamao Shiaku (JPN)
1935–36: Sohn Kee-chung (JPN)
1937: Manuel Dias (POR)
1938: Pat Dengis (USA)
1939: Toyu Ko (KOR)
1940: Shoichiro Takenaka (JPN)
1941: Les Pawson (USA)
1942: Zaiten Kimoto (JPN)
1943: Gérard Côté (CAN)
1944: Charles Robbins (USA)
1945: Sven Håkansson (SWE)
1946–48: Mikko Hietanen (FIN)
1949: Salomon Könönen (FIN)
1950: Feodosy Vanin (URS)
1951: Veikko Karvonen (FIN)
1952–54: Jim Peters (ENG)
1955: Veikko Karvonen (FIN)
1956: Paavo Kotila (FIN)
1957–59: Sergei Popov (URS)
1960: Abebe Bikila (ETH)
1961: Takayuki Nakao (JPN)
1962: Yu Mang-Hyang (PRK)
1963: Buddy Edelen (USA)
1964: Abebe Bikila (ETH)
1965: Morio Shigematsu (JPN)
1966: Michael Ryan (NZL)
1967: Derek Clayton (AUS)
1968–69: Bill Adcocks (ENG)
1970: Ron Hill (ENG)
1971: Derek Clayton (AUS)
1972: Frank Shorter (USA)
1973: John Farrington (AUS)
1974: Ian Thompson (ENG)
1975: Bill Rodgers (USA)
1976: Waldemar Cierpinski (GDR)
1977: Bill Rodgers (USA)
1978: Shigeru So (JPN)
1979: Bill Rodgers (USA)
1980: Gerard Nijboer (NED)
1981: Robert de Castella (AUS)
1982: Alberto Salazar (USA)
1983: Robert de Castella (AUS)
1984: Steve Jones (WAL)
1985: Carlos Lopes (POR)
1986: Robert de Castella (AUS)
1987: Takeyuki Nakayama (JPN)
1988: Belayneh Dinsamo (ETH)
1989: Juma Ikangaa (TAN)
1990: Steve Moneghetti (AUS)
1991: Kōichi Morishita (JPN)
1992: David Tsebe (RSA)
1993: Dionicio Cerón (MEX)
1994: Cosmas Ndeti (KEN)
1995: Sammy Lelei (KEN)
1996: Martín Fiz (ESP)
1997: Khalid Khannouchi (MAR)
1998: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA)
1999: Khalid Khannouchi (MAR)
2000: António Pinto (POR)
2001: Josephat Kiprono (KEN)
2002: Khalid Khannouchi (USA)
2003: Paul Tergat (KEN)
2004: Felix Limo (KEN)
2005–08: Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)
2009: Duncan Kibet (KEN)
2010–11: Patrick Makau Musyoki (KEN)
2012: Geoffrey Mutai (KEN)
2013: Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich (KEN)
2014: Dennis Kipruto Kimetto (KEN)
2015: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN)
2016: Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)
2017–18: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN)
2019: Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)
2020: Evans Chebet (KEN)
2021: Bashir Abdi (BEL)
2022: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN)
2023: Kelvin Kiptum (KEN)

v t e Japan Championships in Athletics men's marathon champions
1913–15: Shizo Kanakuri 1916: Tominosuke Kato 1917–18: Yuyuki Akiba 1919: Yahei Miura 1920: Choichi Goto 1921: Koji Shimomura 1922: Chojiro Nishida 1923: Masao Matsuoka 1924: Not held 1925: Maru Saburo 1926: Masao Yamauchi 1927: Seiji Takahashi 1928: Kanematsu Yamada 1929: Kusu Yoshizo 1930: Seiji Takahashi 1931: Tamao Shiwaku 1932: Taika Gon (KOR) 1933: Kusu Yoshizo 1934: Isamu Nakata 1935: Sohn Kee-chung (KOR) 1936: Yu Suzuki 1937: Nagaharu Yanagi 1938: Shigekazu Kabazawa 1939: Kure Tosuke 1940: Shoichiro Takenaka 1941: Not held 1942: Akihabara Yasuta 1943–45: Not held 1946–47: Shinzo Koga 1948: Shunichi Watanabe 1949: Hiroshi Hashimoto 1950: Yoshikazu Noda 1951: Kiyoshi Shinozaki 1952: Hiroshi Hashimoto 1953: Kofu Hiroshima 1954: Yoshikatsu Takahashi 1955: Veikko Karvonen (FIN) 1956: Keizo Yamada 1957–58: Sumio Horinouchi 1959: Yasuo Koshikawa 1960: Nobuyoshi Sadanaga 1961: Abebe Bikila (ETH) 1962: Toru Terasawa 1963: Jeff Julian (NZL) 1964: Kenji Kimihara 1965: Hidekuni Hiroshima 1966: Yoshiro Mifune 1967: Derek Clayton (AUS) 1968: Akio Usami 1969: Jerome Drayton (CAN) 1970: Bill Adcocks (GBR) 1971: Frank Shorter (USA) 1972: Akio Usami 1973: Frank Shorter (USA) 1974: Akio Usami 1975: Jerome Drayton (CAN) 1976: Akio Usami 1977: Bill Rodgers (USA) 1978: Takeshi So 1979: Toshihiko Seko 1980: Hiroshi Yuge 1981: Robert de Castella (AUS) 1982: Michio Mizukubo 1983: Toshihiko Seko 1984: Tetsuji Iwase 1985: Hisatoshi Shintaku 1986: Toshihiro Shibutani 1987: Takeyuki Nakayama 1988: Toshihiko Seko 1989: Manuel Matias (POR) 1990: Eddy Hellebuyck (BEL) 1991: Shuichi Morita 1992: Mike O'Reilly (GBR) 1993: Dionicio Cerón (MEX) 1994: Kenichi Suzuki 1995: Masaki Oya 1996: Hiroshi Tako 1997: Toshiyuki Hayata 1998: Muneyuki Ojima 1999: Hiroshi Miki 2000: Atsushi Fujita 2001: Shigeru Aburaya 2002: Toshio Mano 2003: Tomoaki Kunichika 2004: Tadayuki Ojima 2005: Toshinari Takaoka 2006: Wataru Okutani 2007: Mitsuru Kubota 2008: Arata Fujiwara 2009: Tadashi Shitamori 2010: Tomoyuki Sato 2011: Yuki Kawauchi 2012: Hiroyuki Horibata 2013: Masakazu Fujiwara 2014: Kohei Matsumura 2015: Satoru Sasaki 2016: Hisanori Kitajima 2017: Hiroto Inoue 2018: Yuma Hattori 2019: Shogo Nakamura 2020: Naoya Sakuda

Japan Championships in Athletics men's marathon champions

1913–15: Shizo Kanakuri
1916: Tominosuke Kato
1917–18: Yuyuki Akiba
1919: Yahei Miura
1920: Choichi Goto
1921: Koji Shimomura
1922: Chojiro Nishida
1923: Masao Matsuoka
1924: Not held
1925: Maru Saburo
1926: Masao Yamauchi
1927: Seiji Takahashi
1928: Kanematsu Yamada
1929: Kusu Yoshizo
1930: Seiji Takahashi
1931: Tamao Shiwaku
1932: Taika Gon (KOR)
1933: Kusu Yoshizo
1934: Isamu Nakata
1935: Sohn Kee-chung (KOR)
1936: Yu Suzuki
1937: Nagaharu Yanagi
1938: Shigekazu Kabazawa
1939: Kure Tosuke
1940: Shoichiro Takenaka
1941: Not held
1942: Akihabara Yasuta
1943–45: Not held
1946–47: Shinzo Koga
1948: Shunichi Watanabe
1949: Hiroshi Hashimoto
1950: Yoshikazu Noda
1951: Kiyoshi Shinozaki
1952: Hiroshi Hashimoto
1953: Kofu Hiroshima
1954: Yoshikatsu Takahashi
1955: Veikko Karvonen (FIN)
1956: Keizo Yamada
1957–58: Sumio Horinouchi
1959: Yasuo Koshikawa
1960: Nobuyoshi Sadanaga
1961: Abebe Bikila (ETH)
1962: Toru Terasawa
1963: Jeff Julian (NZL)
1964: Kenji Kimihara
1965: Hidekuni Hiroshima
1966: Yoshiro Mifune
1967: Derek Clayton (AUS)
1968: Akio Usami
1969: Jerome Drayton (CAN)
1970: Bill Adcocks (GBR)
1971: Frank Shorter (USA)
1972: Akio Usami
1973: Frank Shorter (USA)
1974: Akio Usami
1975: Jerome Drayton (CAN)
1976: Akio Usami
1977: Bill Rodgers (USA)
1978: Takeshi So
1979: Toshihiko Seko
1980: Hiroshi Yuge
1981: Robert de Castella (AUS)
1982: Michio Mizukubo
1983: Toshihiko Seko
1984: Tetsuji Iwase
1985: Hisatoshi Shintaku
1986: Toshihiro Shibutani
1987: Takeyuki Nakayama
1988: Toshihiko Seko
1989: Manuel Matias (POR)
1990: Eddy Hellebuyck (BEL)
1991: Shuichi Morita
1992: Mike O'Reilly (GBR)
1993: Dionicio Cerón (MEX)
1994: Kenichi Suzuki
1995: Masaki Oya
1996: Hiroshi Tako
1997: Toshiyuki Hayata
1998: Muneyuki Ojima
1999: Hiroshi Miki
2000: Atsushi Fujita
2001: Shigeru Aburaya
2002: Toshio Mano
2003: Tomoaki Kunichika
2004: Tadayuki Ojima
2005: Toshinari Takaoka
2006: Wataru Okutani
2007: Mitsuru Kubota
2008: Arata Fujiwara
2009: Tadashi Shitamori
2010: Tomoyuki Sato
2011: Yuki Kawauchi
2012: Hiroyuki Horibata
2013: Masakazu Fujiwara
2014: Kohei Matsumura
2015: Satoru Sasaki
2016: Hisanori Kitajima
2017: Hiroto Inoue
2018: Yuma Hattori
2019: Shogo Nakamura
2020: Naoya Sakuda

v t e Korean Sports Hall of Fame
Olympic sports	Sohn Kee-chung Kim Sung-jip Suh Yun-bok Chang Chang-sun Yang Jung-mo Park Shin-ja Kim Yuna Cha Bum-kun Kim Jin-ho Jo O-ryeon Lee Bong-ju Nam Sung-yong
Non-Olympic sports	Kim Il Um Hong-gil Kim Hong-bin
Administration	Min Kwan-sik Kim Un-yong

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