Korean swimming coach expects to see multiple athletes on podium in Paris

Korean swimming coach expects to see multiple athletes on podium in Paris

Blog Article

It has been 12 years since Korea won an Olympic medal in swimming. And with multiple swimmers in

strong form heading into the Paris Olympics next month, Lee Jung-hun, head coach of the national

swimming team, said Tuesday the dozen-year drought could end in France.

"From members of the coaching staff to all the athletes, we can feel that there is a lot of attention being

paid to our team," Lee said at the national team media day at the Jincheon National Training Center in

Jincheon, 85 kilometers south of Seoul. "It's difficult to predict exactly how many medals we can win. But

we do have a figure in mind. I think we will see a few athletes on the podium in Paris."

Park Tae-hwan remains the only Korean swimmer with an Olympic medal. He made history by winning

the gold medal in the men's 400-meter freestyle in 2008 and added the silver medal in the 200m freestyle

as well. Four years later, Park claimed silver medals in both the 200m and 400m freestyle.

This year, Korea boasts two current world champions in those two events: Hwang Sun-woo in the 200m

free and Kim Woo-min in the 400m free.

Throughout his press conference, Lee sidestepped questions about the exact medal target for his team, in

an apparent attempt not to put so much pressure on his athletes. Lee did concede that Hwang and Kim are

among those being counted on for 토토 medals.

"Depending on how they feel on the day of their races, they could finish anywhere between first and fifth,"

the coach said. "Woo-min and Sun-woo will both need meticulous planning, but I won't get into that

here."

Hwang and Kim will both be competing in their second Olympics, though Kim only raced in the men's

4x200m freestyle relay three years ago in Tokyo.

Hwang, only 18 years old then, stunned the swimming world by setting the world junior record in the

heats for the 200m freestyle. In the final, Hwang was on a world record pace through 150m before fading

away badly and finishing in seventh place.

Lee recalled that neither he nor Hwang had any international experience before Tokyo, with their

preparation also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The coach said Hwang has since developed into a far

more mature athlete.

"Back then, he was so young and raw, and I didn't really give him any strategic direction," Lee said. "He

was just competing on his sheer willpower. He has so much experience now and he has become better at

managing his races. I think Paris will be a fun competition for him."

Hwang and Kim will compete together in the 4x200m freestyle relay, where Korea is considered a sneaky

medal contender. Lee Ho-joon has long established himself as the third member of the squad, with the

fourth spot having been a revolving door of sorts in recent years between Yang Jae-hoon and Lee Yoo-

yeon.

Earlier this year, the 20-year-old Kim Young-hyun emerged as a new force during Olympic trials. And the

Korea Swimming Federation, after initially planning to take only one of the trio to Paris, decided late

Monday to put all three of Yang, Lee and Kim on the team. The decision on who will be the fourth

swimmer in the heats and potentially in the final will be made in Paris.

At this year's world championships, Hwang, Kim, Yang and Lee Ho-joon teamed up for the silver medal,

with Lee Yoo-yeon taking Yang's place in the heats.

"We felt there would be some risks in taking only four swimmers," coach Lee said. "I think having six of

them available will be good for the team. They've all been training together for a long time and chemistry

will not be an issue. I think they are all capable of posting good times.

 

Report this page