Kim Ho-kon (Korean: 김호곤, also known as Kim Ho-gon, born 30 January 1971) is a South Korean former sailor, who specialized in the Laser class.[1] Regarded as one of South Korea's most successful sailors in history, Kim has appeared in three editions of the Olympic Games (1996, 2000, and 2004) and has produced a tally of three medals (two golds and one bronze) in the Laser class at the Asian Games.[2][3]

Kim Ho-kon
Personal information
Nationality South Korea
Born (1971-01-30) 30 January 1971 (age 53)
Daegu, South Korea
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight84 kg (185 lb)
Sailing career
ClassDinghy
ClubDaegu Urban Development Corp.
Medal record
Men's sailing
Representing  South Korea
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 1998 Bangkok Laser
Gold medal – first place 2002 Busan Laser
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Doha Laser

Kim made his Olympic debut in Atlanta 1996, finishing twenty-third overall in the inaugural Laser class with a satisfying net grade of 170.[4] At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Kim was not able to improve his previous Olympic feat with mediocre marks recorded throughout the eleven-race series, sitting him in the twenty-sixth position with 181 net points.[5]

When South Korea hosted the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, Kim sailed powerfully in front of the home crowd to defend his gold medal from Bangkok four years earlier in the Laser class with a marvelous grade of 8.[3]

Eight years after competing in his maiden Games, Kim qualified for his third South Korean team, as a 33-year-old, in the Laser class at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Building up to his Olympic selection, he placed thirty-ninth at the class-associated Worlds three months earlier in Bodrum, Turkey.[2][6] Sitting almost at the rear end of the forty-two-man field with few marks lower than the top thirty recorded, Kim accumulated a net score of 255 points to finish the eleven-leg series in thirty-second overall.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Kim Ho-Gon". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2020. Other name(s): Kim Ho-Kon
  2. ^ a b "요트 김호곤, 아테네올림픽 출전권 획득" [Sailor Kim Ho-kon acquires a ticket to compete at the Athens Olympics] (in Korean). Korea Economic Daily. 17 May 2004. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Battle On In Doha". World Sailing. 4 December 2006. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Atlanta 1996: Sailing – Men's Laser Class". Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 458. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Sydney 2000: Sailing – Men's Laser Class". Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 131. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  6. ^ "[요트] 홀, 고환암 15병 투병딛고 1인승 핀급 출전 현실로" [Sailing: Hall competes amid 15 years of battle against testicular cancer] (in Korean). The Chosun Ilbo. 25 July 2004. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Sailing: Mixed Laser Class". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2013.

External links edit