View source for Sohn Kee-chung

{{Short description|Korean marathon runner (1912–2002)}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Son (Korean name)|Sohn]]||lang=Korean}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Sohn Kee-chung
| image = Sohn Kee-chung (Kitei_Son) Medal Ceremony 1936 Summer Olympics.jpg
| image_size = 
| headercolor = lightsteelblue
| caption = Sohn at the [[1936 Summer Olympics]]
| native_name = 손기정
| native_name_lang = ko
| birth_name = 
| fullname = 
| nickname = 
| citizenship = 
| residence = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1912|08|29}}
| birth_place = [[Sinuiju|Shingishu]], [[Heianhoku-dō]], [[Korea under Japanese rule|Korea, Empire of Japan]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|11|15|1912|08|29}}
| death_place = [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]]
| resting_place       = [[Daejeon National Cemetery]]
| monuments = 
| education = 
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| occupation = 
| years_active = 
| other_interests = 
| website = 
| country = 
| sport = Athletics
| rank = 
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| height = {{convert|1.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|60|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}
| universityteam = 
| collegeteam = 
| club = 
| team = 
| turnedpro = 
| partner = 
| former_partner = 
| coach = 
| coaching = [[Ham Kee-Yong]], [[Suh Yun-Bok]]
| retired = 
| worlds = 
| regionals = 
| nationals = 
| olympics = {{plainlist|
* '''[[Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Summer Olympics]]''': Men's marathon; Gold
}}
| paralympics = 
| highestranking = 
| pb = 
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Country |  {{flagcountry|Japan}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Berlin]] | [[Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon|Marathon]]}}
| module = {{Infobox Korean name/auto
| hangul = %손기정
| hanja  = 孫基禎
| text   = [[Kanji#Readings|Japanese pronunciation]]:<br />{{nihongo|Son Kitei}}
| child  = yes}}
}}

'''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=[[The Guardian]]|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 Olympic athlete and long-distance runner. He became the first  Korean to win a medal at the [[Olympic Games]], winning gold in the [[Marathon (sport)|marathon]] at the [[Berlin Olympics|1936 Berlin Olympics]]. He was born in the Korean Peninsula, but he was forced to compete as a member of the [[Japan at the 1936 Summer Olympics|Japanese delegation]] because Korea was under [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japanese rule]] 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 [[Korea under Japanese rule|Korea was under Japanese occupation]] 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=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 14, 2009|access-date=July 27, 2021}}</ref>

==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).<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last=정 |first=찬모 |title=손기정 (孫基禎) |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0067205 |access-date=June 8, 2024 |publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]] |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=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture]]}}</ref>

Sohn reportedly had a talent for running even at a young age. In sixth grade, he placed first in a regional 5&nbsp;km race, beating out older competitors.<ref name=":0" /> He studied at [[Yangchung High School]] in Seoul, which was reputed for its [[track and field]] program.<ref name=":0" /> He then enrolled in and graduated from [[Meiji University]] in Tokyo.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Park |first1=Ji-won |title=Japanese scholar writes book on legendary Korean marathoner Son Kee-chung |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2025/02/113_268512.html |access-date=2025-02-16 |publisher=The Korea Times |date=2019-05-08}}</ref>

==Athletics career==
In 1931, he ran as the representative of his province at the [[Chōsen Shrine]] Competition ({{Korean|hangul=조선신궁대회|labels=no}}) in Seoul ([[Keijō]]), and placed first. In 1932, he came in second in the Kyŏngyŏng Race ({{Korean|hangul=경영 마라톤대회|labels=no}}), which was hosted by newspaper ''[[The Dong-A Ilbo]]''. In April 1932, he won the Tokyo-Yokohama ''[[ekiden]]'' (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 [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]], Sohn set a [[marathon world record progression|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.<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>[http://www.marathonguide.com/history/records/popupSummary.cfm?RID=MMAR19350331#MMAR19350331 Men's World Record Times – 1932 to 1938]. Marathonguide.com. Retrieved on June 9, 2015.</ref> 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]].<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 [https://www.arrs.run/HP_BosMa.htm Boston Marathon] and [https://www.arrs.run/RecProg/RP_wwR.htm World Best Progressions].)</ref> 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 (sport)|marathon]]. He ran the {{convert|42.195|km}} course in 2:29:19.2, breaking the [[Marathon world best progression|Olympic record]].<ref name="longman"/> His teammate [[Nam Sung-yong]] took the [[bronze medal]]. As [[Korea under Japanese rule|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.<ref>[https://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/12/16/2011121601539.html 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.</ref>

===Political significance ===
Under orders from [[Tokyo]], Sohn Kee-chung had to compete using the [[Latin alphabet]] name of {{transliteration|ja|Son Kitei}}. It is the romanization of the Japanese pronunciation of his Korean name in [[hanja]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130601193826/http://en.beijing2008.cn/spirit/pastgames/halloffame/s/n214046800.shtml Sohn Kee-chung]. beijing2008.cn</ref>

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.<ref name=sr/> When the ''[[The Dong-a Ilbo|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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2011/aug/27/sohn-kee-chung-olympics-korea|title=The forgotten story of Sohn Kee-chung, Korea's Olympic hero|first=Andy|last=Bull|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=August 27, 2011}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173755/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1936/ATH/mens-marathon.html Athletics at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games: Men's Marathon]. sports-reference.com</ref>

=== Hellenic prize  ===
[[File:고대 그리스 청동 투구.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Corinthian helmet]] that was awarded to Sohn Kee-chung, now on display at the [[National Museum of Korea]]]]
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 State Museums|Berlin museum]] 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=[[New York Times]]|date=August 18, 1986}}</ref><ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-10-mn-2184-story.html Marathon Winner in '36 Berlin Games Will Be Given Prize—50 Years Late]. Reuters. August 10, 1986</ref> Sohn donated the helmet to the [[National Museum of Korea]], which designated it as the 904th and only Western [[Treasure (South Korea)|Treasure]].<ref name="nmk904">{{Cite web |url=https://www.museum.go.kr/site/eng/relic/represent/view?relicId=4359 |title=Ancient Greek Bronze Helmet |website=[[National Museum of Korea]] |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=https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/sports/baseball/158635.html|title=손기정 평화마라톤 우승자에 '청동투구' 수여(Korean)|newspaper=[[The Hankyoreh]]|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==
Sohn was the team manager for the Korea at the [[1948 Summer Olympics|1948]] and [[1952 Summer Olympics]] and was the nation's flag bearer in the [[1948 Summer Olympics#Opening ceremony|London 1948 opening ceremony]].<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 [[Suh Yun-Bok]], the winner of the [[Boston Marathon]] in 1947;<ref name=sr/> [[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 [[Seoul Olympic Stadium|stadium]] during the opening ceremony.<ref name=sr/><ref name="sohn" />

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=[화제의 책] 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 honored with the [[Order of Civil Merit (South Korea)|Moran Class of the Korean Order of Civil Merit]].{{cn|date=August 2025}}

==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.<ref name="sohn">{{cite news|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/include/print.asp?newsIdx=11954|title=Sohn Kee-chung|newspaper=[[The Korea Times]]|access-date=November 4, 2010}}</ref> He was also posthumously made a Grand Cordon (Blue Dragon) of the [[Order of Sports Merit]].{{cn|date=August 2025}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101026105742/http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Olympic-Athletes/All-Athletes/Athletes-SN-to-SZ/-KEE-CHUNG-SOHN-/ Profile on www.olympic.org]

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|rec}}
{{Succession box
| before = {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Yasuo Ikenaka]]
| title = [[Marathon world best progression|Men's Marathon World Record Holder]]
| years = November 3, 1935 – April 19, 1947
| after = {{flagicon|KOR}} [[Suh Yun-Bok]]
}}
{{s-sports|oly}}
{{Succession box
| title = [[List of people who have lit the Olympic Cauldron|Final Summer Olympic Torchbearer]] |with =  Chung Sun-Man & [[Kim Won-tak]]
| before = [[Rafer Johnson]]
| after = [[Antonio Rebollo]]
| years = [[1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Seoul]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Marathon Men}}
{{Footer WBYP Marathon Men}}
{{Japan Championships in Athletics men's marathon champions}}
{{Korean Sports Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sohn, Kee-Chung}}
[[Category:1912 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Sinuiju]]
[[Category:Korean men long-distance runners]]
[[Category:Korean men marathon runners]]
[[Category:Japanese men marathon runners]]
[[Category:Japanese men long-distance runners]]
[[Category:South Korean men long-distance runners]]
[[Category:South Korean men marathon runners]]
[[Category:South Korean people of North Korean origin]]
[[Category:Olympic men marathon runners]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Japan]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Japan]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World record setters in the sport of athletics]]
[[Category:Japan Championships in Athletics winners]]
[[Category:Korea University alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Civil Merit (Korea)]]
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in South Korea]]
[[Category:Burials at Daejeon National Cemetery]]
[[Category:Sport in Korea under Japanese rule]]
[[Category:Miryang Son clan|Kee-chung]]
[[Category:Meiji University alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Japanese sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century South Korean sportsmen]]