"Slower Than an Elementary School Race"
Commentator Criticizes Athletes for Lack of Effort
Viral Video Sparks Debate Over Sportsmanship and Strategy
Controversy has arisen after athletes displayed an unusually slow and seemingly lackluster performance at the National Athletics Championships, raising questions about their sincerity during the race. The commentator covering the event criticized the race, stating, "This is worse than an elementary school competition."
Scenes from the men's university division 3000m steeplechase final at the National Athletics Championships on the 21st. Photo captured from KBS Sports YouTube.
The controversial scene occurred during the men's university division 3000m steeplechase at the National Athletics Championships on the 21st. On that day, even after the starting gun was fired, the athletes ran at such a leisurely pace that it was hard to believe it was a final. Some athletes were even seen laughing and chatting with each other during the race. Rather than running at full speed, the athletes appeared to focus on their rankings, matching their pace to those around them and running slowly.
The winning time recorded by Jung Minguk, who placed first, was only 10 minutes 16.56 seconds. This is more than one minute slower than the Korean men's university record set in 2007 (8 minutes 50.41 seconds). It also falls short of the women's record of 9 minutes 59.05 seconds. In comparison, the winning time in the men's high school division at the same event was 9 minutes 40.90 seconds.
Yoon Yeochoon, the athletics commentator for the event, remarked, "The athletes' pace is slow. They are so focused on their rankings that this is neither jogging nor running?it's just a bit faster than walking," and added, "This is very disappointing. Showing such a race to the public and spectators is an embarrassment for those involved in athletics."
As the slow pace continued, commentator Yoon further stated, "When the race is like this, even we as commentators lose motivation. I'm sure viewers will change the channel," and added, "For the time being, I think we shouldn't broadcast the university 3000m steeplechase. I'll talk to the producer and make sure we don't broadcast university races for a while."
Yoon also expressed his disappointment, saying, "This is really upsetting. Even elementary school students wouldn't run like this," and added, "In my view, these athletes are diminishing the popularity of athletics. I'm saying this because I'm truly disappointed."
The broadcast video of the race, which was uploaded to YouTube, quickly went viral, garnering over 1.1 million views. Online commenters criticized the race, saying things like, "If you have time to chat with the runner next to you during the race, that's all that needs to be said," "This is truly an embarrassing competition," and "The commentator must have been really upset to say something like that."
As criticism of the game poured in, a player expressed displeasure through a YouTube comment. KBS Sports YouTube capture
As criticism mounted, an individual claiming to be one of the athletes in the race expressed displeasure through a YouTube comment. He wrote, "In other events at the National Sports Festival, when athletes compete for rankings, it's considered strategy and tactics, but for some reason, it's acceptable in some events and not in others. I wonder if anyone has considered the athletes' perspective. Maybe it's just an excuse, but I have a lot I want to say as well."
In response, one commenter pointed out, "There is a minimum standard of performance, and the criticism is because you crossed that line."
After the race, on the 29th, commentator Yoon told KBS Sports, "I made those comments because I was disappointed that the athletes colluded to focus on rankings rather than records," and also pointed out that the current system is problematic. He said, "There should be rewards for achieving good records. This is an issue that the sports association and the government need to consider seriously."
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