Lee Jung-Joon

Biography:

Lee Jung-Joon (also known as Lee Jeong-Jun, Korean: 이 정준), born on March 26, 1984, is a South Korean athlete specializing in sprint hurdles. He has made significant contributions to South Korean track and field, particularly in the 110-meter hurdles event.

A defining moment in his career came in 2008 when he set both a national record and a personal best time of 13.53 seconds at the Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting. His strong performance in this competition solidified his reputation as one of South Korea’s top hurdlers.

Later that year, Lee represented South Korea at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, competing in the men’s 110-meter hurdles event. In the preliminary heats, he faced tough competitors, including American hurdler David Oliver and Spain’s Jackson Quiñónez. Despite the intense competition, Lee finished in fifth place with a time of 13.65 seconds, narrowly edging out Trinidad and Tobago’s Mikel Thomas by 0.04 seconds. His strong time allowed him to advance to the quarterfinals based on his performance.

In the quarterfinal round, Lee continued to push his limits, setting a new national record of 13.55 seconds. However, his journey in the Olympics came to an end as he placed sixth in his heat, falling short of qualifying for the semifinals.

Despite this, Lee’s achievements in breaking national records and competing at the highest level of international athletics cemented his status as a key figure in South Korea’s sprint hurdles history.