Quick access to main page (top) Direct access to main contents Quick access to main page (bottom)

South Korean Swimmer Hwang Clinches Gold in Men’s 200m Freestyle at World Championships

wikitree Views  

Hwang Sun-woo (20, Gangwon Province), the ace of Korean swimming, showed a golden performance in the men’s 200m freestyle at the World Championships.

Hwang Sun-woo is smiling after checking his time in the men’s 200m freestyle final at the 2024 International Swimming Federation World Championships, held at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar, on the 14th (Korean time) / Yonhap News

On the 14th (Korean time), Hwang Sun-woo touched the pad first in the men’s 200m freestyle final at the 2024 International Swimming Federation World Championships held at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar, with a time of 1 minute and 44.75 seconds.

He outpaced Danas Rapsys (28, Lithuania) by 0.30 seconds, who finished the race in 1 minute and 45.05 seconds.

Luke Hobson (20, USA) came in third with a time of 1 minute and 45.26 seconds.

Hwang Sun-woo, who started first with a reaction time of 0.62 seconds, maintained the lead by turning at 24.24 seconds at 50m and 50.57 seconds at 100m.

Although he gave up the lead to Hobson at the 150m mark, he increased his speed and secured first place by swimming the last 50m in 26.89 seconds.

The last 50m records for Rapsys and Hobson were 26.92 seconds and 27.81 seconds, respectively.

World champion Hwang Sun-woo said in English right after the match, “I didn’t expect to win, but I did my best and finally did it. I thank my coaches and teammates for their support.”

David Popovici (Romania), who beat Hwang Sun-woo in Budapest in 2022, Matthew Richards and Tom Dean (both from the UK), who came first and second in the Fukuoka competition in 2023, did not participate in the 200m freestyle in Doha.

Hwang Sun-woo was touted as the most likely winner and indeed became the men’s 200m freestyle champion at the World Championships.

Hwang Sun-woo, the first Korean swimmer to win two consecutive World Championship medals – silver (1 minute and 44.47 seconds) in Budapest in 2022 and bronze (1 minute and 44.42 seconds) in Fukuoka in 2023 – stepped onto the podium for the third time in Doha.

His third individual World Championship medal shined golden.

It was also the first time a Korean swimmer won a gold medal in the 200m freestyle.

With Hwang Sun-woo’s performance, Korean swimming won its fourth gold medal in World Championships history.

Previously, Park Tae-hwan (34) won Korea’s first gold medal in the men’s 400m freestyle at the 2007 Melbourne Championships and also won gold in the same event at the 2011 Shanghai Championships.

Hwang Sun-woo is smiling after checking his time in the men’s 200m freestyle final at the 2024 International Swimming Federation World Championships, held at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar, on the 14th (Korean time) / Yonhap News

Kim Woo-min (22, Gangwon Province), who has led the renaissance of Korean swimming along with Hwang Sun-woo, won the men’s 400m freestyle on the 12th and became the first Korean gold medalist since Park Tae-hwan 13 years ago.

With Hwang Sun-woo standing at the highest point on the podium in the 200m freestyle, Korean swimming won more than two gold medals in a single World Championship for the first time.

With Hwang Sun-woo’s gold medal, the total number of medals won by Korean swimming in the World Championships increased to 10 (4 gold, 1 silver, and 5 bronze).

Having won three World Championship medals, Hwang Sun-woo climbed to the top of the list of Korean swimmers with the most medals, along with Park Tae-hwan (2 gold, 1 bronze) and diver Kim Su-ji (3 bronze).

Last year, Hwang Sun-woo won a bronze medal at the Fukuoka World Championships in July and harvested six medals (2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.

He won the 200m freestyle at the Hangzhou Asian Games with a time of 1 minute and 44.40 seconds, breaking his own Korean record again.

The Olympics are the only blank space left in Hwang Sun-woo’s medal resume.

Hwang Sun-woo, the World Champion, will participate in the Paris Olympics, which opens in July.

There are more opportunities to add medals at the Doha World Championships.

Hwang Sun-woo will compete in the individual 100m freestyle and the men’s 800m relay.

Although he has not yet won a medal in the 100m freestyle at the World Championships, swimming media SwimSwam predicted that the top three finishers in this event would be Pan Zhanle (China), Alessandro Miressi (Italy), and Hwang Sun-woo.

The men’s 100m freestyle preliminaries will be held on the afternoon of the 14th (Korean time), the semi-finals on the morning of the 15th, and the finals on the 16th.

The men’s 800m relay preliminary round will be held on the afternoon of the 16th and the final on the morning of the 17th.

The Korean team, consisting of Hwang Sun-woo, Kim Woo-min, Lee Ho-joon (22, Jeju City Hall), and Lee Yoo-yeon (23, Goyang City Hall), is considered a contender for the championship in this competition.

If Hwang Sun-woo, who has already won gold in his main event, the 200m freestyle, wins just one more medal, he will become the Korean swimmer with the most individual medals in the World Championships’ history.

If he steps onto the podium in the 100m freestyle and the 800m relay, he will break the record for the most medals won by a Korean in a single competition (currently held by Park Tae-hwan and Kim Su-ji with 2 each).

wikitree
content@www.kangnamtimes.com

Comments0

300

Comments0

[SPORTS] Latest Stories

  • Is This Swimmer's Waist Too Good to Be True? Fans Are Confused!
  • 17-Year-Old Badminton Star Zhang Zhijie Collapses, Passes Away
  • Son Heung Min's Brother and Father Accused in Child Abuse Scandal
  • Legendary Sumo Wrestler Akebono Taro Passes Away at 54
  • Thailand Invests Millions for Son Heung Min's Return Match
  • South Korean Soccer Player Returns Home After 10 Months in Chinese Detention

Weekly Best Articles

  • BMW’s ‘Double Coffin Grille’ Faces Backlash in Unusual 1 Series Mod
  • E30 M3 Returns: A Fresh Design Brings BMW’s Classic into the Future
  • Lexus LFA’s Legendary Successor: What to Expect from the Upcoming Supercar
  • Renault’s Eco-Friendly Emblème Promises 90% Lower Emissions, 621-Mile Range
  • Honda’s New Passport: Sleek Redesign and 10-Speed Automatic Transmission Coming Soon
  • Tesla’s New Model Y Juniper: Leaked Prototype Hints at Major 2025 Facelift
  • Mercedes-Benz CLA Gets a Chinese Heart—2.0-liter Turbo Gasoline Engine with 250 HP
  • Suzuki’s Grand Vitara Dominion Edition: Enhanced Exterior, Interior, and Hybrid Powertrains
  • 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser: 326-HP Hybrid Engine Powers Off-Road Performance at $90K
  • NCT Dream Stars Share Hilarious Childhood Memories with Kim Jong Kook
  • Han Ji Min Dazzles Fans in All-White Winter Look—See Her Stunning Holiday Photos
  • Kim Jaejoong Breaks Down in Emotional Moment During Concert—Here’s Why

You May Also Like

  • 1
    Suzuki’s Grand Vitara Dominion Edition: Enhanced Exterior, Interior, and Hybrid Powertrains

    TECH 

  • 2
    2024 Toyota Land Cruiser: 326-HP Hybrid Engine Powers Off-Road Performance at $90K

    TECH 

  • 3
    NCT Dream Stars Share Hilarious Childhood Memories with Kim Jong Kook

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 4
    Han Ji Min Dazzles Fans in All-White Winter Look—See Her Stunning Holiday Photos

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 5
    Kim Jaejoong Breaks Down in Emotional Moment During Concert—Here’s Why

    ENTERTAINMENT 

Popular Now

  • 1
    Rain Reveals His Luxurious Life—From Expensive Home Tech to Dream Bus Rides

    ENTERTAINMENT&nbsp

  • 2
    Is Dex the Ultimate Boyfriend? Seohyun Jin Thinks So!

    ENTERTAINMENT&nbsp

  • 3
    Is the Toyota Century SUV Worth the Price? Here’s What You Get for $273,000

    TECH&nbsp

  • 4
    Is the Toyota Rumion the Best Value Minivan You Can Buy? Here’s Why It Might Be

    TECH&nbsp

  • 5
    Lexus Reveals Sporty New ES Facelift with Aggressive Design Changes

    TECH&nbsp

Weekly Best Articles

  • BMW’s ‘Double Coffin Grille’ Faces Backlash in Unusual 1 Series Mod
  • E30 M3 Returns: A Fresh Design Brings BMW’s Classic into the Future
  • Lexus LFA’s Legendary Successor: What to Expect from the Upcoming Supercar
  • Renault’s Eco-Friendly Emblème Promises 90% Lower Emissions, 621-Mile Range
  • Honda’s New Passport: Sleek Redesign and 10-Speed Automatic Transmission Coming Soon
  • Tesla’s New Model Y Juniper: Leaked Prototype Hints at Major 2025 Facelift
  • Mercedes-Benz CLA Gets a Chinese Heart—2.0-liter Turbo Gasoline Engine with 250 HP
  • Suzuki’s Grand Vitara Dominion Edition: Enhanced Exterior, Interior, and Hybrid Powertrains
  • 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser: 326-HP Hybrid Engine Powers Off-Road Performance at $90K
  • NCT Dream Stars Share Hilarious Childhood Memories with Kim Jong Kook
  • Han Ji Min Dazzles Fans in All-White Winter Look—See Her Stunning Holiday Photos
  • Kim Jaejoong Breaks Down in Emotional Moment During Concert—Here’s Why

Must-Reads

  • 1
    Suzuki’s Grand Vitara Dominion Edition: Enhanced Exterior, Interior, and Hybrid Powertrains

    TECH 

  • 2
    2024 Toyota Land Cruiser: 326-HP Hybrid Engine Powers Off-Road Performance at $90K

    TECH 

  • 3
    NCT Dream Stars Share Hilarious Childhood Memories with Kim Jong Kook

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 4
    Han Ji Min Dazzles Fans in All-White Winter Look—See Her Stunning Holiday Photos

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 5
    Kim Jaejoong Breaks Down in Emotional Moment During Concert—Here’s Why

    ENTERTAINMENT 

Popular Now

  • 1
    Rain Reveals His Luxurious Life—From Expensive Home Tech to Dream Bus Rides

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 2
    Is Dex the Ultimate Boyfriend? Seohyun Jin Thinks So!

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 3
    Is the Toyota Century SUV Worth the Price? Here’s What You Get for $273,000

    TECH 

  • 4
    Is the Toyota Rumion the Best Value Minivan You Can Buy? Here’s Why It Might Be

    TECH 

  • 5
    Lexus Reveals Sporty New ES Facelift with Aggressive Design Changes

    TECH