(LEAD) vice sports minister-career
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| ▲ This photo provided by the presidential office on June 29, 2023, shows the new vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, Jang Mi-ran. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This file photo from Sept. 4, 2016, shows former South Korean weightlifter Jang Mi-ran. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this file photo from Aug. 16, 2008, South Korean weightlifter Jang Mi-ran makes a successful clean and jerk attempt en route to winning the gold medal in the women's +75kg competition at the Beijing Olympics at Beihang University Gymnasium in Beijing. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this file photo from Aug. 5, 2012, South Korean weightlifter Jang Mi-ran waves to the crowd after a failed clean and jerk attempt during the women's +75kg competition at the London Olympics at ExCeL-South Arena 3 in London. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this file photo from Aug. 5, 2012, South Korean weightlifter Jang Mi-ran touches weight plates after a failed clean and jerk attempt during the women's +75kg competition at the London Olympics at ExCeL-South Arena 3 in London. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this file photo from Jan. 10, 2013, South Korean weightlifter Jang Mi-ran waves to cameras before her retirement press conference in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) vice sports minister-career
(LEAD) Olympic weightlifting champion Jang Mi-ran put in charge of sports administration
(ATTN: ADDS comments in paras 4-6; CORRECTS info in para 3)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 29 (Yonhap) -- One of the most successful weightlifters in Olympic history, Jang Mi-ran will now be South Korea's top Cabinet official in sports.
Jang, the 2008 Olympic weightlifting champion, was named the second vice minister of culture, sports and tourism Thursday.
The ministry has two vice ministers, with the first vice minister, Chun Byong-keuk, overseeing cultural affairs, religions and media, and Jang set to handle sports-related and tourism matters under Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon.
"I think the spirit of fair play in sports competitions aligns with fairness and common sense," Jang said in a statement released by the ministry, referring to guiding principles of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. "I will do my best to ensure the Yoon government's philosophy will be reflected in sports and tourism policies, and also to keep the people properly informed of government policies."
Jang also said she takes on the vice ministerial job "with a huge sense of responsibility."
"I will listen to what athletes and coaches, younger and older, have to say," Jang said. "I will keep an eye on the welfare of athletes in difficult situations and help elevate the status of athletes."
Thursday's appointment is the latest feather in the cap for the 39-year-old, who had been in academia since her retirement in 2013.
Jang is the third elite athlete to become the second vice minister of sports, following former shooter Park Jong-gil and ex-swimmer Choi Yoon-hee.
Jang has a far more decorated athletic resume than those two predecessors.
Competing in the +75kg category, Jang won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics with a then world record total of 326kg. She also broke world records in the snatch with 140kg, and in the clean and jerk with 186kg.
This gold medal was sandwiched by silver in 2004 and bronze in 2012, her final Olympic Games, held in London. Jang is the only female weightlifter to win a medal in three consecutive Olympics.
Jang won four consecutive world titles, starting in 2005. Only three female lifters have won more world championships in the competition's history, dating to 1987.
Jang had a late start to her weightlifting career, compared with other elite lifters, and picked up her first barbell in 1999, while still in middle school.
Only five years later, though, Jang captured silver at the Athens Olympics with a total of 302.5kg. She and the gold medalist from China, Tang Gonghong, were the only ones to surpass 300kg in total.
Jang then obliterated the competition in Beijing four years later with her record-breaking performance, becoming the first South Korean female weightlifter to win an Olympic gold. No one came even close to lifting 300kg in total. The silver and bronze medalists then, Olha Korobka of Ukraine (277kg) and Mariya Grabovetskaya of Kazakhstan (270kg), were both stripped of their medals after testing positive for banned substances.
Jang battled shoulder pains at the 2012 Olympics in London, originally finishing in fourth place with 289kg total. She was elevated to the bronze medal four years later, when the third-place finisher from Armenia, Hripsime Khurshudyan, was disqualified for doping.
During her athletic career, Jang was known as a studious type. She earned a bachelor's degree in physical education at Korea University in 2010. Two years later, Jang earned a master's degree in physical education at Sungshin Women's University.
In 2015, Jang got a doctorate in physical education at Yong In University. She became a professor at the same school in 2016. After studying at Kent State University, starting in 2017, Jang rejoined Yong In's faculty in 2021.
Jang pursued a seat on the Athletes' Commission at the International Olympic Committee but lost out to the 2004 Olympic table tennis champion Ryu Seung-min in a race to become the South Korean candidate in 2015.
Jang has also been helping young athletes with scholarships through her namesake foundation created in 2012. The foundation has so far aided Olympic athletes in judo, table tennis and diving.
(END)
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