South Korean swimmers Hwang Sun-woo (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province) and longtime world champion Kim Seo-young (Gyeongbuk Provincial Government) have set their sights on a number of goals just 17 days before the start of the 2023 FINA World Aquatics Championships.
The Korean Swimming Federation held a media day for Team Korea at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships on Sunday at the Jincheon Athletes’ Village.
Thirty-seven Korean athletes (21 in swimming, eight in diving, four in artistic swimming and four in open water) will compete at the World Championships, which begin on July 14 in Fukuoka, Japan.
Hwang Sun-woo is one of the favorites.
After winning the silver medal in the men’s 200-meter freestyle at the 2022 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Budapest,먹튀검증 Hungary, last June in 1:44.47, behind David Popovic (ROM) in 1:43.21, Hwang will attempt to become the first Korean swimmer to win back-to-back long course (50-meter) World Championship medals.
“I finished second at the World Championships in Budapest last year, and I currently have a good record of being ranked No. 1 in the world in the men’s 200-meter freestyle,” Hwang said, “so I’m aiming to win a medal in the 200-meter freestyle at this event as well.”
“He’s got a time of 1:42.9. “Even if he doesn’t have a good time now, we’ll only know how good he is when we race together in Fukuoka,” he said, adding, “Besides Popovic, we’ll also have to deal with Fan Zhanle (1:44.65-China), Mashu Richards (1:44.83), Tom Dean (1:44.93-GBR) and Katsuhiro Matsumoto (1:44.98-Japan), who have all gone sub-1:44 this year. He will need to run a time in the low 1:44s to win a medal.”
In the 100-meter freestyle, Hwang added, “I’m aiming to beat my best time (47.56-Korean record).”
He is also motivated to compete in the 800-meter freestyle relay with his teammates.
“The times of my teammates in the 800-meter freestyle relay have dropped by one or two seconds from last year,” Hwang said, “so we will try to reach the 800-meter freestyle relay final and get a podium finish.”
In Fukuoka, Hwang is virtually guaranteed to swim the men’s 100 and 200 meters freestyle and 800 meters freestyle relay. He will also swim the 400-meter medley relay and 400-meter freestyle relay, depending on conditions.
“If I can improve on my personal best of 1:45.70 in the 200m freestyle, I can advance beyond the semifinals and into the final,” said Lee Ho-joon (Daegu Metropolitan City). “I want to reach the final in the 200m freestyle with Hwang Sun-woo and achieve a good time in the 800m freestyle relay together.”
Kim Woo-min, who will compete in the 400, 800, and 1,500 freestyle events, said, “In individual events, I will try to exceed my own records and learn a lot from competing with world-class athletes.” “In the 800-meter freestyle relay, I am training with my teammates in a good atmosphere,” he added.
“I am proud of the juniors who train with me,” said Kim Seo-young, the captain of the Korean team. “I will be competing with them at the Fukuoka World Championships and Asian Games. I’m grateful just to be able to compete with them and watch them compete,” he said.
However, Kim Seo-young, who became the first Korean swimmer to reach three consecutive finals in a single event by finishing sixth in the 200-meter individual medley at three consecutive World Championships – Budapest 2017, Gwangju 2019 and Budapest 2022 – also has personal goals.
“It would be great to make it to four finals in a row, but I’d rather focus on getting back into the 2:10s than on the rankings,” Kim said, adding, “If I can work towards that goal and get into the 2:10s, I’m sure some good rankings will follow.”
South Korean diving standouts Woo Haram (Korea Sports Promotion Agency) and Kim Soo-ji (Ulsan Metropolitan City Hall) are preparing to return to the World Championships after shaking off injuries.
Uharam, who finished fourth in the men’s 3-meter springboard at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021 – Korea’s highest-ever finish – missed the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest last June due to a back injury.
“I had a procedure on my back in November last year, and after rehabilitation, I started technical training in March. I’m about 50-60% fit,” Uharam said, adding, 메이저사이트 추천 “I’ve recovered a lot from the injury and I’m improving my condition. I will try to perform as well as possible at the World Championships.”
His realistic goal for the tournament is to qualify for the Paris Olympics, which is possible with a 12th place finish.
Kim Soo-ji, who won Korea’s first ever diving medal in Gwangju in 2019 (third place in the women’s 1-meter springboard), said, “At last year’s World Championships in Budapest, I only made it to the semifinals. “I had a lot of injuries, but I recovered well. I believe in myself and am determined to do well.”
Lee Ri-young (Busan Gwangyoung City Swimming Federation), who became the first Korean swimmer to reach the finals of both the solo and duet artistic swimming (regulation) events at the World Aquatics Championships since the introduction of the current scoring system, said, “I want to reach the finals of both events this time as well,” adding, “I will not miss out on the technical and artistic elements.”
“In the solo, I’m trying to express a strong and dark atmosphere, and in the duet, with the theme of ‘rain in the sky,’ I’m not just expressing rain, but I’m trying to be more specific, such as the shape of the person avoiding the rain, the rain falling hard, and so on,” Lee said, adding that she hopes people will enjoy the many parts that make up artistic swimming.