At age 31, Jung Hye-lim hopes to win Korea’s first gold in women’s 100-meter hurdles in eight years. This is following in the footsteps of Lee Yeon-koung, who took the top prize at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.
The 100-meter hurdles is a track and field event where there are10 hurdles. All are at a height of 84 centimeters (two feet nine inches), are at intervals along a 100-meter track. The first hurdle is placed 13 meters (42.6 feet) from the starting line with the rest placed at 8.5 meters from each other. It requires speed, strength and a good rhythm for a hurdler to smoothly finish the race without tripping over.
Jung Hye-lim Wants to Break Records
When Lee retires from the sport, it seems almost impossible that her Korean record, at 13.00 seconds, would ever be broken. If anyone can tackle Lee’s record, it’s Jung. Over the past three years, Jung has inched closer and closer to the 13-second record.
“I feel thrilled every time I stand at the starting line,” Jung said. “I don’t have any injuries and my condition is great. This is giving me confidence.”
To win gold at the Asian Games this year, Jung will have to beat Wu Shuijiao of China. Wu is the athelete who won gold at the 2014 Games.
“I’ve been called the ‘hurdle princess,’ but now that I’m in my 30s, I want a different nickname,” Jung said. “This will be my last Asian Games. I’ll race like there’s nowhere else to go and become the ‘hurdle queen.’” Her fans are looking forward to her winning any medal she can win. Those who bet on sports are also keen on finding out how she makes it this time around.
