Joel Jin Nwamadi runs personal best in 200 meters, eyes national record at championships

Korean sprinting sensation Joel Jin Nwamadi inched closer to setting a national record by running a personal best time in the men's 200-meter race at the National Athletics Championships on Wednesday, just a day after narrowly missing the country's 100-meter record.

The 20-year-old sprinter, who runs with Yecheon County Office, posted a time of 20.50 seconds in the 200-meter semifinal at Jeongseon Sports Complex in Gangwon on Wednesday, finishing first in his heat with a powerful burst down the stretch.

The time marked a personal best and was 0.1 seconds off the Korean national record of 20.40, set by Park Tae-geon in 2018. It also ranks as the fourth-fastest 200-meter time in Korean history.

The second- and third-fastest marks belong to Jang Jae-keun, who ran 20.41 in 1985, and Ko Seung-hwan of Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall, who clocked 20.45 last year.

The performance came one day after Nwamadi nearly broke the national record in the men’s 100 meters.

In Tuesday’s final, he ran 10.09 seconds — just 0.02 seconds shy of the Korean record of 10.07 — though the result was not eligible for official recognition because of a tail wind of 2.7 meters per second, above the allowable limit.

Still, the run strengthened expectations that the national record could soon fall.

Starting in lane six of the second semifinal heat on Wednesday, Nwamadi surged ahead late to finish comfortably in first place.  

Seo Min-jun of Seocheon County Office placed second in 20.65 seconds, while Lee Jae-sung of Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall also advanced to the final after recording the same time in the first semifinal heat.

Coaches say Nwamadi’s recent rise owes partly to offseason work focused on strength.

During winter training, the sprinter added around 3 to 4 kilograms of muscle mass, with coaches prioritizing explosive power over fixing perceived weaknesses in his start.

“People say Nwamadi is slow out of the blocks, but we believed that part would improve naturally,” said Ha Kyung-soo, head coach of Korea’s national sprint team. “Rather than focusing too much on his start, we concentrated on training that could further maximize his greatest strength — speed.”

Nwamadi’s rivalry with fellow sprinter Biwesa Daniel Kashama of Ansan City Hall has also energized Korea’s sprint scene, with the two repeatedly pushing each other to faster times.

Observers say the competition is having a broader ripple effect on Korean track and field.

“This year, the rivalry between Nwamadi and Kashama has created a competitive dynamic that is improving other athletes’ performances as well,” said Yoon Yeo-chun, a track and field commentator. “Compared to last year, more athletes are running in the 10.1- and 10.2-second range in the 100 meters.”

The men’s 200-meter final is scheduled for Thursday at 3:05 p.m., the final day of the championships.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY KIM YOUNG-JU [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]