(Asiad) Swimming competition set to begin as S. Korea looks to replicate 2023 success
TOKYO, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- The swimming competition of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will begin Sunday in Tokyo, where South Korea will look to repeat its success in the pool from three years ago.
At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, South Korea grabbed 22 medals, its most ever at an Asiad, including six gold medals.
Kim Woo-min and Hwang Sun-woo, the two alpha dogs, led the way with 10 medals between them, with Kim winning three gold medals and Hwang adding two gold medals.
Both are back for another go, this time at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. In individual events, Kim is the defending champion in the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle events, while Hwang is the 2023 gold medalist in the 200m freestyle. They teamed up for the 4x200m freestyle relay title three years ago, too.
Members of the South Korean national swimming team competing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games pose for a group photo at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, in this Aug. 20, 2026, file photo. (Yonhap)
Ji Yu-chan was a surprise champion in the men's 50m freestyle and he will try to defend his crown.
Among new faces, Kim Young-beom will seek to pull off a surprise of his own in Tokyo on the men's side, while Kim Seung-won, still only 16, will make her debut on the women's side.
Along with South Korea, China and Japan form the triumvirate of swimming in Asian Games.
In men's freestyle races, the 19-year-old Zhang Zhanshu has been hailed as the next big thing in Chinese swimming and will go after Kim's and Hwang's thrones in the 200m, 400m and 800m
Tatsuya Murata of Japan, also 19, is another strong freestyler. He held off Hwang for the bronze medal at the 2025 world championships with the Japanese national record time of 1:44.54.
The swimming competition concludes Friday and South Korea may potentially win at least a medal each day.
Hwang and Kim Young-beom will compete in the 100m freestyle Sunday, followed by Ji and Kim in the 50m freestyle Monday. The men's 4x200m freestyle relay is also scheduled for Monday.
South Korea could be in for a big haul on Friday, when Kim Woo-min goes for his second straight gold in the 400m freestyle and Lee Ju-ho chases his first gold in the 200m backstroke. The women's 4x100m medley relay team will seek to put on a victorious finishing touch Friday evening.
Members of the South Korean national swimming team competing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games pose for a group photo at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, in this Aug. 25, 2026, file photo. (Yonhap)
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