It is highly likely that Kim Woo-min will not be able to participate in the men's 800m freestyle swimming event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which will be held at the Tokyo Aquatics Center in Japan on the 24th.
He won three gold medals at the 2022 Hangzhou Games by winning the men's 400m and 800m freestyle, and the 800m relay, and he set his sights on winning multiple gold medals at this competition as well.
However, it was later revealed that he had been diagnosed with partial rupture of left shoulder tendon and cartilage and impingement syndrome ahead of the competition.
In the 800m freestyle relay on the 21st, where she competed while hiding her injury, she only won a bronze medal, and in the 1,500m freestyle final on the 22nd, she suffered extreme shoulder pain during the race and ended up in 8th place, shedding tears of regret.
Although it is unclear whether defending champion Kim Woo-min will participate, Kim Jun-woo (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Sports Council), a promising mid- and long-distance star in Korean swimming, will step in to fill the void left by 'Idol' and continue Kim Woo-min's will.
The men's 800m freestyle was only officially adopted at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 800m freestyle is the midpoint where the 400m professional speed swimmer and the 1,500m strength swimmer collide.
Because it is the intersection of middle-distance and ultra-long distance, athletes who dominate this event usually receive the title of ‘King of Asia’s middle- and long-distance distances.’
The momentum of Kim Jun-woo, who carries the Taegeuk symbol alone and cuts through the 800m current, is fierce.
Kim Jun-woo, the youngest member of the men's national team, finished the warm-up in 5th place with a personal best of 14 minutes 57.13 seconds in the 1,500m freestyle final held on the 22nd.
After the race, Kim Jun-woo said, "I have been focusing on preparing for the 800m, which accounts for 60% of the events I participate in," and said, "I will do my best to run a race with no regrets, with the feeling of truly showing my 'ultimate performance.'" He courageously expressed his determination.
Chinese and Japanese players are expected to be strong in this event.
The strongest candidate for the championship is Chinese swimming star Zhang Zhanshu, who won two gold medals in the 800m relay and 1,500m freestyle at this event.
Zhang Zhanshuo's personal best record in the 800m freestyle is 7 minutes 44.45 seconds.
Fei Liwei (China), winner of the 1,500m freestyle at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, follows with a personal best of 7 minutes 47.11 seconds, and Kazushi Imafuku (Japan) also holds a record of 7 minutes 47.81 seconds.
The men's 400m relay is also an event in which we expect a medal.
In the last competition, Korea won a gold medal in the men's 800m relay and a silver medal in the men's 400m relay.
The 400m relay, in which four swimmers are responsible for 100m each, is an event where China, with its strong base of sprinters, continues to be strong.
But this time the atmosphere is different. This is because a new ‘sprint powerhouse’, Youngbeom Kim (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Office), has emerged in Korean swimming.
Kim Young-beom won the silver medal in the 100m freestyle final on the 20th with a time of 47.65 seconds, just 0.04 seconds behind Pan Zhanle (China), the world record holder in this event (46.40 seconds).
Thanks to the rapid growth of Kim Young-beom's skills, Korean swimming has high expectations in the 400m relay.
If only two athletes do their part to support Kim Young-beom and Hwang Seon-woo (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province), who have overwhelming competitiveness in the 100m freestyle, it is worth aiming for the top of the podium.
Following the bronze medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, the women's 800m relay will compete this time with the goal of making the medal color a little brighter.
In addition, Heo Yeon-kyung (Daejeon Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation) will compete in the women's 50m freestyle, and Ji Yu-chan (Daegu Metropolitan City Hall) and Yang Jae-hoon (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Office) will compete in the men's 50m butterfly.
Park Si-eun (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Sports Council) will compete for medals in the women's 200m breaststroke, and Jo Seong-jae (Army Sports Corps) will compete in the men's 200m breaststroke.
