'The Best Iron Man of Our Time'Kim Hwang-tae and Cheol-in triathlon qualified for the first Paralympic Games!

Jul 02, 2024

photo courtesy of the Korea Sports Council for the Disabled

Kim Hwang-tae ranked 9th in the world and secured the right to participate in Korea's first Paralympic triathlon.

Kim Hwang-tae is ranked seventh in the world in the paratryathlon world rankings released by the International Triathlon Federation on July 1.

Kim Hwang-tae (47, Incheon Sports Council for the Disabled, Sports Grade PTS3, 7th in the world) won the right to compete in the Paralympics for the first time in Korea.

Kim Hwang-tae ranked 9th in the world in the Paralympic qualification rankings announced by the International Triathlon Federation (ITU) on the 29th of last month. The ranking of Paralympic tickets, which is counted separately from the world ranking, is a ranking that compiles the ranking of Paralympic tickets for one year from July 1 last year, and tickets for the Paris Paralympics are given to the top nine. In the final ranking of the Paralympics, which was calculated right after the end of 2024 ITU Para Series Swansea (UK) on the 22nd and 2024 ITU Para Series Montreal (Canada) on the 29th, Kim Hwang-tae ranked ninth in the world, confirming his dream to go to Paris. It is the first Paralympic Games in the history of triathlon, a new history of sports for the disabled in Korea.

photo courtesy of the Korea Sports Council for the Disabled

Kim Hwang-tae's journey to challenge for the Paralympics was brilliant. On May 11, he ranked third in the 2024 ITU Disabled Series Yokohama, becoming the first Korean disabled and non-disabled player to win the triathlon World Series, and on the 18th, he ranked third again in the 2024 ITU Disabled Cup tournament Samarkand (Uzbekistan) to reach the podium for the second consecutive tournament. Fifteen days later, he won the 2024 ITU Paralympic Cup Subic (Philippines) and ranked eighth in the Paralympic rankings. He was disqualified at the ITU Swansea Championship in late June, and unfortunately secured ninth place in the final ranking. Kim Hwang-tae is the only Asian player among the 23 players of the same grade.

photo courtesy of the Korea Sports Council for the Disabled

Chul-in Kim Hwang-tae and Cheol-in's wife handler Kim Jin-hee. Photo courtesy = Korea Sports Council for the Disabled

Kim Hwang-tae, a former member of the 789th Marine Corps, is an indomitable iron man. Just a year and a half after losing both arms in an electrocution accident during work in August 2000, he started running in January 2002 and completed 70 full marathons, 17 of which are 'Marathoner's Romance' sub3 (42.195km in 3 hours). He tried to participate in the Paralympics through taekwondo and Nordic skiing, but failed to achieve his goal due to injuries and exclusion from sports. However, Kim Hwang-tae's heart was not broken, and he finally wrote his first participation in the Paralympic Games with `Triple of Iron Man.' There are six sports grades for the disabled, including PTWC (wheelchair grade), PTS2 to 5 (physical disability, the smaller the number, the more severe the disability), and PTVI (visual disability). Kim Hwang-tae's sports grade is PTS3 (significant muscle damage and amputation). Kim Hwang-tae is the only Iron Man in the world. His challenge of taking the best records by swimming, cycling, and running marathons without arms is the hope of disabled people around the world. Next to Kim Hwang-tae is his wife Kim Jin-hee. His wife's hands, which exchange equipment and assist him in his departure, are faster than light. My wife is a man of iron after all. The synergy of Kim Hwang-tae and Kim Jin-hee during the stock change time is amazing. The time it takes for my wife to replace her shoes and swimming cap is faster than my own competitors. Tens of thousands of times, it's the result of bleeding training.

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After confirming his trip to the Paris Paralympics, Kim Hwang-tae said, "I was able to participate in the Paralympics because of the interest, support, and help of many people rather than my skills. Thank you" gave a humble speech. "Thank you so much to Manager Moon Jae-hong of the Korea Sports Association for the Disabled, Director Kim Jung-ho, Interpreter Hong Esther, my love, Kim Jin-hee." The long journey, which began in 2019, is over. Thank you so much for making my dream of participating in the Paralympics come true"With the mindset that this is not the end but the beginning, I will do my best to be proud as the first paratriathlon athlete in Korea to participate in the Paralympics." expressed a firm determination.

sky4us@sportschosun.com