Record-breaking relay win kick starts big week for Korean swimming

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Published: 26 Sep. 2023, 11:23 Updated: 26 Sep. 2023, 23:00

Record-breaking relay win kick starts big week for Korean swimming

The Korean men's 4x200 meter freestyle relay team of Yang Jae-hoon, Lee Ho-joon, Kim Woo-min and Hwang Sun-woo celebrate after winning the nation's first-ever gold and breaking the Asian record in the discipline on Monday. [YONHAP]

In a stunning finish capping a historic night, Korea smashed Japan’s 14-year-old Asian swimming record in the men’s 4x200 meter freestyle relay to win the nation’s first-ever gold in the race on Monday at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

The four-man team of Yang Jae-hoon, Lee Ho-joon, Kim Woo-min and Hwang Sun-woo clinched a time of 7 minutes and 1.73 seconds, breaking the Asian Games record — 7:05.17, set by Japan in the 2018 tournament — and the Asian record — 7:02.26, also set by Japan at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships.

Korean swimmers break Asian record to win first-ever gold in 4x200 freestyle relay

They handily defeated China’s all-star team, which took silver with a time of 7:03.40, and reigning champion Japan, which settled for bronze with a time of 7:06.29. Korea came in fourth at the 2018 Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.

It’s the fastest an Asian team has ever finished the men’s 4x200 meter freestyle at any international championship event, including the Olympics, a significant victory in the sport and a huge step forward for Korea's rising swimming stars.

The first-place finish marked Korea’s second gold medal in swimming at this year’s Asiad.

Minutes earlier, Ji Yu-chan won the men’s 50 meter freestyle with a time of 21.72 seconds, bagging an Asian Games record — breaking his own, which he set in a qualifying heat on Monday.

Ji’s gold medal win was an unexpected one. The 21-year-old edged out Hong Kong’s Ian Yentou Ho, who took silver with 21.87 seconds, and Pan Zhanle of China, who took bronze with 21.92.

Ji will also represent Korea in the men’s 4x100 meter freestyle relay alongside the gold-medal winning relay team’s Yang Jae-hoon, as well as swimmers Lee Yoo-yeon and Kim Ji-hun on Thursday.

The 4x200 freestyle team’s Hwang Sun-woo earlier won Korea’s first swimming medal at this year’s Asiad, taking bronze in the men’s 100 meter freestyle on Sunday.

At 19 years old, Hwang won the 2022 world swimming championships in the men’s 200 meter freestyle after taking silver in the event at the world championships earlier that year.

Hwang, now 20, entered the Games as a medal favorite, particularly in his main event, the men’s 200 meter freestyle, which is set for the pool on Wednesday. He’ll face off against rival 19-year-old Pan, of China, who is the current Asian record holder in the men’s 100 meter freestyle. Pan took gold in that event, defeating his teammate, Wang Haoyu, and Hwang to notch a personal best on Sunday.

Korea had won a total of six medals — two gold, four bronze — in swimming after the historic relay finish Monday night.

BY MARY YANG AND PAIK JI-HWAN [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]