Now That's An Upset

[Powell]

Re: Now That's An Upset

I don't recall there being a question about her sex.

She competed long before I was born, but I've heard a lot of questions.

[Vault-emort]

Re: Now That's An Upset

I don't recall there being a question about her sex. Her problem was she was from North Korea, a non-IAAF country, and therefore ineligible for WR status or competition at the OG.

It was before my time too, but I'll quote from "The Olympics at the millennium: power, politics, and the games" (Kay Schaffer, Sidonie Smith): The story appears less frequently about Sin Kim Dan who.......was apparently revealed to be male when his father identified him as a son he had thought lost in the war (Ferris 1992, Noble 1976)

I think s/he did get at least one ratified WR before she was banned after competing at an unsanctioned meet (63?) which if I remember right was called 'The Games of the New Emerging Forces'.

[Jake]

Re: Now That's An Upset

I don't recall there being a question about her sex. Her problem was she was from North Korea, a non-IAAF country, and therefore ineligible for WR status or competition at the OG.

It was before my time too, but I'll quote from "The Olympics at the millennium: power, politics, and the games" (Kay Schaffer, Sidonie Smith): The story appears less frequently about Sin Kim Dan who.......was apparently revealed to be male when his father identified him as a son he had thought lost in the war (Ferris 1992, Noble 1976)

I think s/he did get at least one ratified WR before she was banned after competing at an unsanctioned meet (63?) which if I remember right was called 'The Games of the New Emerging Forces'.

That story about her being male is nonsense. She was pronounced '100 per cent woman' by Japanese doctors (at the Tokyo Oympics) and later married and had two children. ('Athletics 2008' by ATFS, pp 111-114.)

She set eight 'world records' (inc 1.58.0 for 800m in Sept 1964) but for bureaucratic reasons only one (the 51.9 for 400m from Oct 1962) was ratified by the IAAF. This was either because North Korea was not affiliated to the IAAF or she was suspended for taking part in the banned GANEFO meeting. The suspension meant she and five team-mates were unable to compete at the 1964 Olympics, despite their journey to Japan in an attempt to do so.

A very unfortunate story and it's clear a real talent was denied its full desserts. Let's not forget that her official 400m WR lasted six years and her unofficial WR for 800m (1.58.0) eight.