Pentathlete Im Ji-hwan breaks own South Korean record for second time this year

Im Ji-hwan, a student from Wimi Middle School, has set a new South Korean record in the boys' middle school pentathlon, achieving 3710 points at the 47th National Athletics Championships held in Jeju.

This remarkable feat occurred just 12 days after Im broke the previous record of 3648 points, which he himself had set on July 20 during the 24th National Middle and High School Athletics Championships. The pentathlon involves five events: the 100m, 110m hurdles, shot put, high jump, and 800m. Success requires not only individual skill in each discipline but also strong strategic management and concentration over two days of competition.

Im Ji-hwan dominated the event, showcasing superior skills across all disciplines. Reflecting on his achievement, he told the Korea Association of Athletics Federations, "Competing in Jeju, with shorter travel distances, seemed to help a lot. Although I broke the Korean record two weeks ago, I prepared very hard for this competition to break it again. I felt unwell at times, but I'm happy I didn't give up and gave my best to achieve this good result."

In other track and field news, the women's middle school 4x400m relay team from North Gyeongsang Province also set a new national record. Their time of 3 minutes 53.66 seconds surpassed their own previous record of 3 minutes 55.19 seconds, set on May 24 during the 55th National Children's Sports Festival. Additionally, Kwon Ye-eun of Seoul Physical Education High School won the women's high school 200m final with a time of 25.24 seconds, marking her third gold medal of the competition after winning the 100m and 4x100m relay.