Pak Bong-sik (died 1951) was a South Korean athlete. She competed in the women's discus throw at the 1948 Summer Olympics.[1] She was the first woman to represent South Korea at the Olympics.[2]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Died | 1951 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Discus throw |
Career
Pak Bong-sik played various sports including basketball before focusing on athletics and discus throw. She studied in Korea and in China, where she was taught a physical education different from the education in her country.[3] She beat the world record in a domestic contest in Korea in 1948[4][5] (not recognized by IAAF),[6] she competed in the women's discus throw at the 1948 Summer Olympics, finishing 18th out of 22.[4][7]
She was the first woman to represent South Korea at the Olympics;[5][8] she said to Dong-a Ilbo on June 20, 1948 :
I feel a little sad because I'm the only woman. For the future, I request that more Korean women participate in such competitions.[9]
She beat the national record in 1949 with a jump at 39.65 m.[4] In June 1950, she suffers from an acute appendicitis but delays her operation in order to participate in the national championship where she makes a throw at 39.57 m.[4]She died of meningitis in 1951, in the middle of the Korean War.[10]
