"Saviour of the final 16" ran the headline on the front page of the Sports Seoul newspaper, a reference to South Korea's aim of reaching the second stage of the World Cup for the first time.

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She still holds the world record in the heptathlon, which she set in Seoul in 1988, and was named the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated for Women.

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Kang grew up in Daejon, a small city outside of Seoul, and says he was born to be a designer, making doll dresses rather than playing sports.

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