Koreans wild with joy

Press, 23 September 1988, Page 22

Koreans wild with joy

NZPA-Reuter Seoul South Korea exploded with a mixture of joy and relief on Wednesday evening after Kim Youngnam won the host country’s first gold medal of the Olympics. Only Canada in 1976 has failed to strike gold at its own Summer Games and Kim’s victory in the Greco-Roman wrestling welterweight class finally gave South Korea some return on its SUS3.I billion Olympic investment. Kim, a gold medallist at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, was considered the Koreans’ best medal hope and he proved equal to the occasion. The full stadium went

wild when Kim beat Daulet Turlykhanov, of the Soviet Union, in the final. Thousands of normally restrained Koreans gave vent to their elation while Kim raced around excitedly before being dragged

to the mat for a lengthy clinch with his ecstatic manager.

Sitting in the stands his wife wept uncontrollably during the latter stages of the bout. Her tears continued unabated as dozens of photographers surrounded the family group. Kim, who hopes to become a sports scientist, was close to tears during the medal ceremony as, hand over heart, he listened intently to the Korean national anthem. He is expected to receive a pension of SUSBO a month for life from the Korean Government as well as an undisclosed lump sum.