“In a swimming match between ‘Asian seal’ Cho Oh-ryun and a sea turtle, who do you think will win?”
“Cho Oh-ryun!”
As mentioned in the 2001 movie ‘Friend’, the late former swimmer Cho Oh-ryun was as fast as a sea turtle to the people of Korea.
The boy, who went to the competition wearing boxer shorts because he did not have a swimsuit, began to attract attention at one point with his overwhelming swimming ability and broke more than 50 new records in Korea, standing tall as an ‘Asian seal’.
Above all, even after his retirement, he became a role model for his extraordinary spirit of challenge, such as crossing the Korea Strait, crossing the Dover Strait, and crossing Ulleungdo and Dokdo. However, in 2009, while preparing for a re-challenge to commemorate the 30th anniversary of crossing the Korea Strait, he died of a sudden heart attack. He is 57 years old.
Coming to Seoul after dropping out for the dream of a swimmer… Asian Games reception
Born in 1952 in Haenam, Jeollanam-do, Jo Oh-ryun naturally learned to swim in Silgaecheon and the sea as a child.
He started dreaming of becoming a swimmer in his first year of middle school, and in 1968, he submitted an application for withdrawal from Haenam High School and went to his aunt’s house in Seoul. Cho Oh-ryun developed his skills by attending the YMCA swimming pool, and in 1969, he first appeared in the qualifying round for the Seoul National Sports Festival.
At the time, he took first place in the 400m and 1500m freestyle even though he competed in boxer shorts because he did not have a swimsuit. Taking this as an opportunity, he transferred to Yangjeong High School in Seoul, which was called a prestigious sports school, and participated in the Asian Games in Bangkok in December of the following year, setting a new Asian record and winning the 400m and 1500m freestyle events.
He did not win a medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics, but at the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran, he won gold medals in the 400m and 1500m, achieving his second consecutive gold medal. He also added a silver medal in the 200m.
Cho Oh-ryun ended his playing career with the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok. However, his challenge began in earnest at this time.
It took 13 hours to cross the Korea Strait… Overcame muscle paralysis
At 0:05 am on August 11, 1980토토사이트 , Oh-ryun Cho departed from Busan’s Dadaepo Bando Chosun breakwater and headed for Sojaki Lighthouse in Tsushima Island, Japan. It took 13 hours 16 minutes and 10 seconds
for Jo Oh-ryun to reach Tsushima by swimming . Initially, he expected it to take about 18 hours considering the sea conditions, but thanks to the current, he was able to shorten the time. In the process, he suffered a crisis, including muscle paralysis. When he arrived in Tsushima, his tongue was swollen and cracked. However, he sang “Long live the Republic of Korea” with the national flag in one hand and said, “I am happy to be able to display the courage and spirit of South Korea. In 1982, he crossed the English Channel of Dover in 9 hours and 35 minutes. In 2000, he re-crossed the Korea Strait, and in 2003, he completed 600 li of the Han River from the Demilitarized Zone in Hwacheon, Gangwon-do to Yeouido.
In 2005, he and his two sons crossed the 93 km distance between Ulleungdo and Dokdo in 18 hours, proving that ‘Dokdo is our land’. In 2008, Dokdo 33 laps were held in honor of the 33 national representatives who signed the Declaration of Independence.
“Towards the Korea Strait in 2010” will… unfortunate death
Cho Oh-ryun announced plans to cross the Korea Strait in 2010 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of crossing the Korea Strait and the 65th anniversary of liberation.
At the time, he said, “I will show Korea’s strength and finish my swimming life,” but he died of a heart attack on August 4, 2009, preventing him from completing his last challenge.
Cho Oh-ryun’s two sons appeared on a broadcast and related to the crossing of the Korea Strait, which the deceased wanted to achieve during his lifetime, “The whole family refused. I thought my body would be damaged a lot.” Among the people who sent me the wreath now, there are some people who didn’t, but why did you act so ignorant when you were trying to find a sponsor in your lifetime?”
Cho Oh-ryun, who was buried in his hometown of Haenam, was transferred to the National Social Contributor Cemetery at Daejeon National Cemetery in 2021. Cho Oh-ryun became the sixth sportsman to be buried in a national cemetery, following Son Ki-jeong (marathon), Min Kwan-sik (Korea Sports Council), Seo Yun-bok (marathon), Kim Seong-jip (weightlifting), and Kim Il (pro wrestling).