(LEAD) (Asiad) Kim Young-beom wins men's 50m freestyle swimming in record time
TOKYO, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- Kim Young-beom raced to the men's 50-meter freestyle swimming gold medal in record-breaking style at the Asian Games on Monday.
The 20-year-old won the shortest swimming event with a new Asian Games record time of 21.66 seconds at Tokyo Aquatics Centre in the Japanese capital.
In the heats held earlier Monday, Kim had set an Asian Games record with 21.71 seconds, bettering the previous record of 21.72 seconds set by fellow Korean Ji Yu-chan when he won the 2023 Asiad gold.
Just hours later, Kim broke his own mark by 0.05 second to deliver South Korea its first swimming gold of this year's Asian Games.
Kim had earlier won silver in the 100m freestyle Sunday.
Ji got the bronze medal this time in 21.94 seconds, with Ho Ian Yentou of Hong Kong taking silver in 21.76 seconds.
Kim Young-beom of South Korea celebrates after winning gold in the men's 50-meter freestyle swimming event at the Asian Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on Sept. 21, 2026. (Yonhap)
Kim had a reaction time of 0.66 second, tied with two others for the fourth fastest in the 10-man final. But he beat everyone to the final pad with a mad dash down the stretch.
The men's 50m freestyle was added to the Asian Games in 1990, and Kim's title gave South Korea back-to-back champions for the first time.
Kim Young-beom of South Korea celebrates after winning gold in the men's 50-meter freestyle swimming event at the Asian Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on Sept. 21, 2026. (Yonhap)
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