Who is Korea's second-ever Olympic swimming medalist Kim Woo-min?

Olympic Sports

Published: 28 Jul. 2024, 04:44

Who is Korea's second-ever Olympic swimming medalist Kim Woo-min?

Korea's Kim Woo-min enters the water to start the men's 400-meter freestyle final at the 2024 Paris Olympics in Paris on Saturday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Kim Woo-min took bronze in the men’s 400-meter freestyle on Saturday with a time of 3:42.50, becoming only the second Korean swimmer ever to medal at an Olympics.

Kim’s win ends a 12-year Olympic medal drought for Korea in the sport.

It also means Kim has medaled at every major tournament, with two medals from the World Aquatic Championships and four medals from the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Kim has not been always successful on the international stage, however, having failed to medal at the Tokyo Olympics and a few other major tournaments.

So when did Kim start to shine?

Korea's Kim Woo-min poses with his bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in Paris on Saturday. [YONHAP]

Representing Korea at 17

Kim first qualified to represent Korea at age 17 after going through the national squad selection contest in 2019, after which he participated at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju.

His first international tournament did not turn out to be a success despite being on home territory. He finished 31st in the 4x200-meter freestyle, 28th in the 1500-meter freestyle and 11th in the 400-meter freestyle.

But his form started to pick up that year at the FINA Swimming World Cup 2019 in Kazan, Russia, where he won a bronze medal in the 1500-meter freestyle.

Following that World Cup, Kim had plenty of time to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics thanks to the one-year delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The longer preparation was still not enough for Kim, who finished in seventh place in the 200-meter freestyle.

Kim was not the only one that struggled in Tokyo. Countryman Hwang Sun-woo also failed to stand on the podium in Tokyo, extending Korea’s Olympic swimming medal drought that had lasted since Park Tae-hwan won two silvers in 2012.

Korea's Kim Woo-min competes in the men's 400-meter freestyle final at the 2024 Paris Olympics in Paris on Saturday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Chasing glory

After the disappointing Tokyo Olympics, Kim immediately returned to action and began to find his feet on the international stage.

At the Swimming World Cup 2021 in Qatar, Kim picked up a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley and gold in the 1500-meter freestyle race, managing his best result at any international competition yet.

Those results and the longer preparation time for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games — also delayed one year due to Covid-19 — set the stage for Kim to rise to prominence.

And this time, he made that extra time count.

Kim won three gold medals in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, 400-meter freestyle and 800-meter freestyle races and one silver in the 1500-meter freestyle, setting a new Asian record with a time of 7:01.73 seconds in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay in the process alongside countrymen Hwang, Lee Ho-joon and Yang Jae-hoon.

The three coveted gold medals made Kim the first Korean swimmer to top the Asiad podium three times since Park at the 2010 Asian Games, while also granting Kim the military service exemption that Korean athletes can earn by winning gold at the Asiad.

Korea's Kim Woo-min reacts after the men's 400-meter freestyle final at the 2024 Paris Olympics in Paris on Saturday. [YONHAP]

Chasing Park’s legacy

The World Aquatic Championships in Qatar in February offered Kim a final test before the Paris Olympics.

And he proved that he is a strong contender at any international tournament by winning two medals — a gold in the 400-meter freestyle and silver in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay — making him the second Korean to secure gold at the world championships, again after Park in 2011.

At just 22, Kim could still go on to match or even surpass Park’s achievements, which include four Olympic medals — a gold and three silver — five world titles and a host of other international honors.

Kim still has three more shots at a medal in Paris — in the men’s 200-meter, 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle races.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]