South Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo clocks 100-meter freestyle event in 2 years
-
Loading... - Valli Kongkaeo
- 15 Jun 2023
- 67 Views
- 1 Like
- 0 Comment
South Korean swimmer, Hwang Sun-woo, has achieved his fastest time in the 100-meter freestyle event in the past two years during a warm-up competition leading up to the upcoming world championships. On Wednesday, Hwang claimed victory in the men's 100m freestyle at the National Swimming Championships in Gwangju, which is located 270 kilometers south of Seoul, with an impressive time of 47.79 seconds.
During the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Hwang set a national record of 47.56 seconds in the same event.
His recent performance places him fourth globally in the 100m freestyle this year. The current top spot is held by Pan Zhanle of China, with a time of 47.22 seconds, followed by David Popovici of Romania, the reigning world champion, who finished at 47.61 seconds. Matthew Richards of Britain secures the third position with a time of 47.72 seconds.
It's worth noting that Popovici holds the world record in this event, clocking in at 46.86 seconds.
On Tuesday, at the national championships, Hwang also claimed victory in the 200m freestyle, achieving a time of 1:44.61. This time stands as the fastest in the world for this season.
In the previous year's world championships, Hwang won the silver medal in the 200m freestyle but did not qualify for the 100m final.
During the heats and semifinals of the 100m event, Hwang failed to break the 48-second mark. In March of this year, at the national team trials, Hwang recorded a time of 48.21 seconds.
With his recent accomplishments, Hwang is now poised to compete for medals at the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in July, and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September.
Following the race at Nambu University International Swimming Pool, Hwang expressed his thoughts on his performance: "It's not a bad time. I feel like I've taken a significant step forward before the worlds and the Asian Games. I noticed that I ran out of steam during the final 15 meters, and that's something I should address."
Hwang completed the first 50m in 22.92 seconds but required 24.87 seconds to finish the remaining 50m.
"In the 100m race, I need to increase my speed in the early stages," Hwang explained. "Additionally, I must aim for a low 24-second split in the final 50m. Improving my endurance is crucial."
Hwang attributed his conditioning issues as the reason behind missing out on a medal opportunity at the previous year's world championships. The 100m heats took place less than 24 hours after his 200m final.
In an unexpected turn of events, Hwang was given a second chance to compete in the semifinals after initially failing to qualify. This opportunity arose when Caeleb Dressel of the United States, the two-time defending world champion in the 100m, withdrew due to medical reasons. Despite the fortunate circumstance, Hwang was unable to capitalize on the chance and finished 11th among the 16 semifinalists, with only the top seven advancing to the final.
