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South Korean equestrian Kim Kyun-sub won a gold medal in the dressage team event yesterday before his thoughts quickly turned to his late uncle, who died in a horror fall at the Asian Games in Doha eight years ago. Kim Hyung-chil was crushed by his horse, Bundaberg Black, when the 12-year-old gelding threw him over a fence then landed on top of him during the eventing competition in Qatar. |
After his uncle’s death, Kim was unable to ride for six months but returned to the sport to win gold in the team event at the 2010 Guangzhou Games in China.
“My uncle taught me a lot,” Kim said after his ride on Dark Secret. “Whenever I perform in the field, I am reminded of my uncle teaching me and demanding many things. I also thought a lot about him while performing.”
His grandfather Kim Chul-kyu also represented Korea in the sport of equestrian, riding at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
“My uncle was my teacher, and he was like my father, too,” Kim said in his athletes biography. “I considered retirement after my uncle’s death, but I returned to the sport in order to win a gold medal for him.”
Kim did not deliver his best performance on Saturday and had team mates Chung Yoo-yeon, Kim Dong-seon and Hwang Young-shik to thank for the victory.
Only the top three scores are counted towards the total in the team competition, and while Kim’s marks were the lowest of South Korea’s four riders he thought he had improved on his performance from four years ago.
“Dear Uncle, I did a better job than the last Guangzhou Asian Games,” he said. “I will do my best. So, please help me to become a better rider.” South Korea have now won the team dressage at the last five Asian Games.
