Teenage sprinter Daniel Biwesa on track to break the 10-second barrier for S. Korea
- 4 years ago
"한국의 볼트" 고교 육상 스타 다니엘 비웨사 이야기
Track and field hasn't exactly been a source of too much excitement in South Korean sports recently.
This may soon change though with the arrival... of Daniel Biwesa.
Our Han Seong-woo tells the story of the teenager aiming to be Korea's fastest athlete.
Clocking in at ten-point-six-nine seconds in the 100 meter sprint, Wongok High School's Daniel Kashama Biwesa is South Korea's top male track prospect.
The 17-year-old dreams of shattering the national record of ten-point-zero-seven... and one day representing his home on the world stage.
: Next year is key. There's still a lot left to do and I'm going to train harder... I want to become more dominant than I am now.
Biwesa was born in Ansan, Gyeonggi-do Province, to parents from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He acquired Korean citizenship just two years ago after waiting for a decade, which delayed his track debut.
: It's a very grueling but rewarding sport. If you put in the effort, you can actually see yourself getting better and I think I run to experience that great feeling.
Despite the late start, Biwesa exploded onto the scene in the middle of this year when videos of him slowing his pace before crossing the finish line at track meets led to online comparisons with Usain Bolt.
At a national competition on Monday, the sprinter won his third individual gold medal this year in the men's high school 100 meter dash.
Fellow sprinters marvel at his six-foot physique, most notably his long legs.
"Biwesa is very resilient and has a smooth, effortless stride when running..."
His coach says that if Biwesa adds a few kilograms of muscle with age and proper training, he'll most likely break the 10-second barrier in four to five years.
"I believe Daniel can set a new national record and break the barrier at the same time. I mean it's RIGHT there at ten-point-zero-seven."
Completing the 100-meter dash in under 10 seconds is often considered the hallmark of a world-class sprinter.
No South Korean has accomplished the feat.
But with Daniel Biwesa, Korea could soon be joining that exclusive club.
Han Seong-woo, Arirang News.
Track and field hasn't exactly been a source of too much excitement in South Korean sports recently.
This may soon change though with the arrival... of Daniel Biwesa.
Our Han Seong-woo tells the story of the teenager aiming to be Korea's fastest athlete.
Clocking in at ten-point-six-nine seconds in the 100 meter sprint, Wongok High School's Daniel Kashama Biwesa is South Korea's top male track prospect.
The 17-year-old dreams of shattering the national record of ten-point-zero-seven... and one day representing his home on the world stage.
: Next year is key. There's still a lot left to do and I'm going to train harder... I want to become more dominant than I am now.
Biwesa was born in Ansan, Gyeonggi-do Province, to parents from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He acquired Korean citizenship just two years ago after waiting for a decade, which delayed his track debut.
: It's a very grueling but rewarding sport. If you put in the effort, you can actually see yourself getting better and I think I run to experience that great feeling.
Despite the late start, Biwesa exploded onto the scene in the middle of this year when videos of him slowing his pace before crossing the finish line at track meets led to online comparisons with Usain Bolt.
At a national competition on Monday, the sprinter won his third individual gold medal this year in the men's high school 100 meter dash.
Fellow sprinters marvel at his six-foot physique, most notably his long legs.
"Biwesa is very resilient and has a smooth, effortless stride when running..."
His coach says that if Biwesa adds a few kilograms of muscle with age and proper training, he'll most likely break the 10-second barrier in four to five years.
"I believe Daniel can set a new national record and break the barrier at the same time. I mean it's RIGHT there at ten-point-zero-seven."
Completing the 100-meter dash in under 10 seconds is often considered the hallmark of a world-class sprinter.
No South Korean has accomplished the feat.
But with Daniel Biwesa, Korea could soon be joining that exclusive club.
Han Seong-woo, Arirang News.