Korea take 2 gold, 2 silver and a bronze as records fall in the pool

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Published: 28 Sep. 2023, 22:38

Korea take 2 gold, 2 silver and a bronze as records fall in the pool

Korea's Kim Woo-min celebrates after winning gold in the men's 800 meter freestyle final at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Thursday. [AP/YONHAP]

Korea dominated the pool in Hangzhou, China with a record-breaking night, winning two gold, two silver and one bronze at the Asian Games on Thursday.

Starting the night strong was Korea’s Baek In-chul, who took gold in the men's 50 meter butterfly — his second record-smashing race of the day.

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

Baek finished the butterfly final with a time of 23.29 seconds, beating Singaporean swimmer Teong Tzen Wei’s time of 23.34 seconds and Kazakhstan’s Adilbek Mussin’s 23.44. The 23-year-old swimmer broke his own Asian Games record of 23.39, set in an earlier heat on Thursday.

Baek had also competed in the men’s 50 meter freestyle at this year’s Asiad but failed to qualify for the final, losing to Singapore’s Teong — who would become Baek’s butterfly runner-up — in a swim-off.

Minutes later, Korea’s Kwon Se-hyun took silver in the women’s 200 meter breaststroke, finishing with a time of 2 minutes and 26.31 seconds, coming behind China’s Ye Shiwen, with a time of 2 minutes and 23.84 seconds, and a hair ahead of Japan’s Ruma Imai, who finished in 2 minutes and 26.41 seconds.

Korea’s Kim Woo-min won Korea's second gold of the night in the men’s 800 meter freestyle, shattering China’s nine-year Games record with a time of seven minutes and 46 seconds.

Kim, 22, took the lead from the start, keeping his first place spot with every lap. He finished a stunning three seconds ahead of runner-up China’s Fei Liwei.

The all-star Korean men’s 4x100 meter freestyle team took silver with a time of 3 minutes and 12.96 seconds in the final heat, coming behind China, with 3 minutes and 10.88 seconds — a new Asian record.

Korea’s four-man team of Ji Yu-chan, Lee Ho-joon, Kim Ji-hun and Hwang Sun-woo each entered the relay final already having won Korea at least one medal at this year’s Asiad in Hangzhou, China.

Ji notably won gold in the men’s 50 meter freestyle and Hwang took gold in the men’s 200 meter freestyle. Lee and Hwang were also part of the gold-medal winning squad in the men’s 200 meter freestyle relay.

The Korean women's 4x200 meter freestyle relay team ended the night with a bronze medal finish, coming behind China and Japan. The squad of Kim Seo-yeong, Hur Yeon-kyung, Park Su-jin and Han Dak-yung finished with a time of 8 minutes and 00.11 seconds.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]