Taiwan’s Wang Kuan-hung bags men’s 200m butterfly gold

Taiwanese swimmer Wang Kuan-hung (王冠閎) won the men’s 200m butterfly gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan yesterday, leading a 10-men final in 1 minute, 55.05 seconds.

Xu Fang (徐放) of China took silver in 1 minute, 55.65 seconds, while Kim Min-seop of South Korea won bronze in 1 minute, 55.94 seconds.

Wang, who finished eighth in the men’s 100m butterfly earlier in the Games, showed his medal-winning form in his strongest event, advancing from the heats before securing the gold in the final at the Tokyo Aquatics Center.

Taiwan’s Wang Kuan-hung celebrates after winning the men’s 200m butterfly final at the Tokyo Aquatics Center at the Asian Games yesterday. Wang won with a time of 1 minute, 55.05 seconds, with Xu Fang of China in second place and Kim Min-seop of South Korea third. It is Taiwan’s first swimming gold medal at the Asian Games in 28 years. In weightlifting, Taiwan’s Kuo Hsing-chun claimed bronze in the women’s 61kg class. It is her third career Asian Games medal.

Photo: Reuters

The 24-year-old won silver in the same event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, ending a 25-year medal drought for Taiwan’s male swimmers.

Speaking to reporters after the final, Wang said that the victory felt “unreal” to him.

He said he had been under considerable pressure and was very happy to finally win the gold medal, adding that he had been unable to sleep the night before and on Friday afternoon.

Wang also said that he had sustained a sudden back injury several days before the competition.

A doctor diagnosed him with acute tendon inflammation, which initially left him, his coach and his physical therapist worried and unsure how to proceed.

Wang said he reminded himself to stay relaxed and give it his all despite the injury, thanking his coach, physical therapist and supporters for giving him confidence.

The swimmer said his coach told him earlier in the day that he had a good chance of winning in the final, urging him to stay focused and maintain his pace.

“I just focused on my own lane,” Wang said.

He said he swam hard from the start and did not realize he was leading until the 150m mark, after which he gave it his all to reach the finish.

As Wang continues to rewrite Taiwan’s men’s swimming record at the Asian Games, he said he hopes to pass on his experience to younger swimmers and let them know that success is possible if they believe in themselves.

Asked about his next goal, Wang laughed and said he had not thought about it yet.