Kim Hyung-chil

Kim Hyung-chil (Hangul: 김형칠, Hanja: 金亨七) (1 July 1959 - 7 December 2006 in Doha) was a South Korean horse rider. He was a silver medalist in the three day team event at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/equestrian/6217402.stm Equestrian at the 2002 Asian Games] , bbc.co.uk] and was the oldest member of South Korea's equestrian team. Kim participated in the Seoul 1988 and Athens 2004 Summer Olympics and also featured in the World Championships in equestrianism.

He died on December 7, 2006 when he fell from his horse during the 2006 Asian Games Equestrian competition. The incident occurred on the relatively easy jump No. 8 during the cross country stage of the three-day event, Asian Games organizing committee spokesman Ahmed Abdulla Al Khulaifi said. After steady rain, the track condition was far from ideal and although the first 10 competitors finished the race without incident, tragedy struck on Kim, the 11th competitor of the race.

Television footage shows that his horse, Bundaberg Black, got caught in a fence obstacle, first throwing Kim over the obstacle, and then itself being catapulted over, crushing the front of Kim's head and his chest area when its flanks landed on him. Kim never regained consciousness and died shortly before noon local time.

Kim's death was the first ever fatality of an athlete at the Asian Games. [ [http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,20889543%255E23218,00.html Equestrian rider dies at Asian Games] dead link|date=August 2008]

Related external links

* [http://www.doha-2006.com/gis/SPORTS/CO/IGCOParticipantInfo.aspx?Register=5854476 Profile at doha-2006.com]
* [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B0C5514C-B5F9-434F-A056-162F92B482E2.htm Report at aljazeera.net]
* [http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20889543-23218,00.html Report at foxsports.com]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2689616 Report at ESPN.com]

References