Choi Yun-chil
{{Short description|South Korean long-distance runner (1928–2020)}}
{{family name hatnote|Choi||lang=Korean}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Choi Yun-chil
| headercolor = lightsteelblue
| birth_date = 19 July 1928
| birth_place = Dancheon, Korea, Empire of Japan (now North Korea)
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|10|8|1928|7|19}}[https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20201008121100007?section=sports/all Choi Yun-chil's obituary] {{in lang|ko}}
| country = South Korea
| sport = running
| event = marathon
| olympics = 1948 (DNF), 1952(4th)
| nationals = Two-time champion
| module2 =
{{Infobox Korean name|child=yes
| hangul = 최윤칠
| hanja = 崔崙七
| rr = Choe Yunchil
| mr = Ch'oe Ryunch'il
}}
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport | Men's athletics }}
{{Medal|Competition | Asian Games }}
{{Medal|Gold | 1954 Manila | Men's 1500 m }}
{{Medal|Silver | 1954 Manila | Men's 5000 m }}
}}
Choi Yun-chil (19 July 1928 – 8 October 2020) was a South Korean long-distance runner who was a two-time Olympian{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ch/choi-yun-chil-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233438/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ch/choi-yun-chil-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Choi Yun-Chil}} and a two-time national champion in the marathon.{{Cite web|url=https://www.arrs.run/NC_MaraKOR.htm|title = Untitled}}
Career
Choi led the marathon at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London before dropping out with less than 5 kilometers left in the race.{{cite book |last=Martin |first=David E. |author2=Roger W. H. Gynn |title=The Olympic Marathon |url=https://archive.org/details/olympicmarathon00mart |url-access=registration |publisher=Human Kinetics Publishers |date=May 2000 |page=[https://archive.org/details/olympicmarathon00mart/page/188 188] |isbn=978-0-88011-969-6}} He finished third in the 1950 Boston Marathon,{{Cite web|url=https://www.arrs.run/MaraRank/ATM_Mara1950.htm|title = Untitled}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20100611150431/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,812351,00.html Sport: Koreans in a Hurry.] Time, May 1, 1950. but the Boston Athletic Association denied his entry into the following year's event.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100810155331/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,820682,00.html Sport: Banned in Boston.] Time, February 12, 1951. During the height of the Korean War, BAA President Walter A. Brown stated: "While American soldiers are fighting and dying in Korea, every Korean should be fighting to protect his country instead of training for marathons. As long as the war continues there, we positively will not accept Korean entries for our race on April 19." In 1952, Choi finished fourth in the Olympic marathon at Helsinki.{{cite book |last=Martin |first=David E. |author2=Roger W. H. Gynn |title=The Olympic Marathon |url=https://archive.org/details/olympicmarathon00mart |url-access=registration |publisher=Human Kinetics Publishers |date=May 2000 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/olympicmarathon00mart/page/205 205]–207 |isbn=978-0-88011-969-6}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
{{Footer Asian Games Champions 1500 metres Men}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Choi, Yun-chil}}
Category:South Korean male long-distance runners
Category:South Korean male middle-distance runners
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic athletes for South Korea
Category:Asian Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1954 Asian Games
Category:Asian Games gold medalists for South Korea
Category:Asian Games silver medalists for South Korea
Category:Medalists at the 1954 Asian Games
Category:20th-century South Korean sportsmen
Category:21st-century South Korean people
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