Unyielding Willpower That Even the Rough Currents of the Seine Could Not Stop... Kim Hwangtae Completes Triathlon Without Arms

Crossed the finish line with a time of 1 hour 24 minutes 01 seconds
The athlete with the most severe disability among the event participants
Expressed gratitude to his wife after completion

Kim Hwang-tae (47, Incheon Disabled Sports Association), the first Korean to compete in the Paralympic triathlon, has finally achieved his dream of finishing the race. As the only participant competing without both arms, he was rewarded for the past 10 years of hard work leading up to the Paralympics. On the 2nd (Korean time), Kim Hwang-tae finished 10th out of 11 competitors with a time of 1 hour 24 minutes 01 second in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Triathlon (PTS Category 3) held near the Pont Alexandre III in Paris, France.

Kim Hwang-tae is running toward the finish line in the men's triathlon PTS3 category at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, held near the Pont Alexandre III bridge in Paris, France, on the 2nd (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

In the Paralympics, the triathlon event determines the final ranking based on the combined times of swimming (750m), cycling (20 km), and running (5 km). Kim Hwang-tae lost both arms in 2000 due to electrocution from a high-voltage wire, making his disability the most severe among the participants in this event. Especially since he had to swim using only his feet and waist, swimming in the fast current of the Seine River was the biggest obstacle to completing the race. Although he struggled to finish the swim, more difficulties followed. From the practice sessions, the prosthetic arm’s elbow and wrist parts on the cycling equipment were broken and had to be repaired, and to make matters worse, the wrist locking mechanism also broke during practice. Ultimately, on the day of the race, Kim had to tightly secure the broken parts with cable ties and ride the bike.

Kim Hwang-tae is swimming backstroke in the men's triathlon PTS3 category at the 2024 Paris Paralympics held near the Pont Alexandre III bridge in Paris, France, on the 2nd (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Despite these setbacks, Kim Hwang-tae completed the race and said, "Normally, I mix freestyle and breaststroke, but it was difficult to overcome the current of the Seine River that way, so today I used backstroke for more than 70% of the swim." He continued, "Two days before, during practice, I hesitated to jump into the Seine River because I was afraid, but Coach Kim Jeong-ho jumped in himself and swam with me. Thanks to that, I regained mental stability and learned how to handle the current without fear." He added, "I’m relieved to have safely swum through the Seine River. I’m very happy and proud to have finished with a good result."

Kim Hwang-tae is quenching his thirst with the help of his handler (competition assistant), his wife Kim Jin-hee, before the start of the men's triathlon PTS3 category event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics held near the Pont Alexandre III bridge in Paris, France, on the 2nd (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

He also did not forget to express gratitude to his wife, Kim Jin-hee, who voluntarily acted as his handler (race assistant) throughout the competition. He said, "From before I was injured, after the injury, and now into the present and future, my wife has been my arms by my side. I deeply respect and thank her. I want to tell her that I love her very, very much." Kim Jin-hee said, "At first, it was very hard, but every time my husband finished the race, I felt a great sense of accomplishment along with excitement. Still, I hope he doesn’t get injured anymore, and after the Paralympics, I hope he enjoys exercising." Meanwhile, as of this day, South Korea is ranked 14th in the Paris Paralympics with 3 gold medals, 7 silver medals, and 8 bronze medals.