AQUATHLON COMPETITION TAKES PLACE

[Anchor Lead]

A unique sports competition took place in Jamsil, Seoul yesterday. It was diathlon, in which contestants swim in Seokchon Lake and run up 123 floors. This was the first swimming contest held in Seokchon Lake. Here's a look at this interesting competition that combines swimming and vertical marathon.

[Pkg]

Contestants jump into the lake in order. They are here to compete in an aquathlon. Seokchon Lake is turned into an enormous swimming pool. People swim across the 1.5-kilometer-long lake in different forms like breaststroke and freestyle. This is the first swimming race held in Seokchon Lake. This was made possible thanks to a year-long water quality improvement project. It's not open to public yet, but a competition can be held there without a problem. Swimmers are now out of the water but their race isn't over yet. They still have to run a vertical marathon, running up 2,917 steps to the 123rd floor. The top male finisher took some 47 minutes to swim 1.5 kilometers and climb up 123 floors, while the female winner crossed the finish line in 53 minutes.

[Soundbite] Kim Jae-hyeon(Men’s Division Winner) : "I didn’t expect to win, but it feels great to cross the finish line first."

[Soundbite] Hwang Ji-ho(Women’s Division Winner) : "I will buy what I need and have a party with the prize money."

A contestant with a physical disability completed the race and enjoyed his hard-won victory.

[Soundbite] Lee Ju-yeong(Aquathlon Contestant) : "I was speechless when I looked out from the top floor."

The competition organizers said the combination of swimming in Seokchon Lake and a vertical marathon in the nation's tallest building was the first of its kind in the world.