Track star Lee Eun-bin has always been quick. She's trying to get faster.

The sprinter needs to shave about .27 seconds off her personal best time to set the record for women in Korea, which stands at 11:49 seconds. She has been working with men's sprinting legend Kim Kuk-young to improve her mechanics and technique.

Track and field sprinter Lee Eun-bin poses for a photo at the JoongAng Ilbo's office in Mapo District, western Seoul, on March 5. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]

Lee Eun-bin has spent much of her young career racing toward a mark that has stood untouched for 32 years: Korea’s women’s 100-meter record.

The South Jeolla native realized she might be fast in third grade.

While a student at Namak Elementary School in Muan County, Lee finished second in the 80 meters at a countywide elementary school meet. The next year, she won both the county and provincial competitions. By fifth grade, she had taken the national elementary school title in the 100 meters.

Coaches started to notice.

Jeonnam Physical Education High School invited Lee to train with its athletes while she was still in elementary school. Practicing alongside older runners accelerated her development. By the time she reached her senior year of high school, Lee had clocked 11.76 seconds — the fastest women’s 100-meter time recorded in Korea that season — beating sprinters from professional teams.

Her first year in the professional ranks brought more success. Racing for Gwangju City Hall last season, Lee won five major titles and began drawing attention as interest in women’s track and field grew.

The next step will be harder for the now 19-year-old.

Korea’s women’s 100-meter record stands at 11.49 seconds, a mark that has held for more than three decades. Lee’s personal best leaves her 0.27 seconds behind — a sizable margin in a race that lasts barely more than 11 seconds.

The broader benchmarks are even tougher. Sprinters typically need to run in the low 11.2-second range to contend consistently in Asia. Olympic qualification requires breaking the 11-second mark.

Korea’s women’s 100-meter record stands at 11.49 seconds. Lee Eun-bin’s personal best leaves her 0.27 seconds behind. [WINWIN SPORTS]

Still, Lee entered this season with momentum and a new support system.

The Korea Association of Athletics Federation reassembled its women’s national sprint team this year after 16 years without a squad. The program had largely faded due to a lack of results, but last year’s relay team — including Lee — set a Korean record for the first time in 11 years, prompting renewed interest.

Coach Kim Kuk-young now helps lead that effort. The former national sprint star holds Korea’s men’s 100-meter record at 10.07 seconds and recently joined the national team coaching staff.

From his perspective, Lee remains an unfinished project.

“She has good qualities, but her fundamentals are lacking,” Kim said during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at the newspaper’s office in Mapo District, western Seoul, last week.

“She tries to run with strength rather than technique. She has excellent muscle strength and elasticity, but she doesn’t fully use them," the coach said.

Lee also doesn’t see herself as a power runner.

“My style relies more on elasticity,” she said, speaking next to Kim. “It feels more like bouncing forward rather than pushing with strength.”

Kim agrees with part of that description but believes the details matter.

“It’s true that she uses her elasticity to transfer power to the track,” he said. “But she uses too much unnecessary force in the process. If she relaxes a little, her times will improve. The challenge is changing habits that have been there since childhood.”

Track and field sprinter Lee Eun-bin poses for a photo at the JoongAng Ilbo's office in Mapo District, western Seoul, on March 5. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]

Those adjustments have become a focus this year. Lee said the first step came during the offseason in the weight room.

“I gained one kilogram [2.2 pounds] of skeletal muscle mass, bringing it to 27 kilograms,” she said.

In previous seasons, Lee often struggled early in the year. Her spring results tended to lag because her strength had not fully developed after winter training. This time, she approached the offseason differently, emphasizing weight training to build strength before the competitive season began.

The changes extend to her mechanics.

“My movements were small [before], so the overall motion wasn’t very dynamic,” Lee said. “This year I’m working on making my arm swings bigger and lengthening my stride.”

The adjustment resembles a baseball hitter rebuilding a swing — a bold change that could lead to dramatic results. Lee has also devoted significant attention to her start. She typically accelerates in the middle and late phases of her races, but she sometimes gives up ground early.

Part of the problem comes from how she pushes off the track. Instead of springing forward from the balls of her feet, she has a habit of pressing down into the surface. Kim has worked with her to correct this.

Lee Eun-bin's ultimate goal is to compete in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. [WINWIN SPORTS]

For this season, Lee set a clear target: 11.59 seconds. That would cut 0.17 seconds from the personal best she set two years ago. She plans to aim for the national record next year.

Her immediate goal is the 2026 Asian Games in Japan this September. The national trials in May will offer the first indication of whether the technical changes are working.

Sprinters often reach their peak between the ages 25 and 26. Lee still has time. The long-term timeline points toward the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

“By the time the trials come around, I think the new running technique I’ve been practicing will start to settle in,” Lee said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM YOUNG-JU [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]