Korea, China, and Japan Face Off in "Swimming Three Kingdoms" in Tokyo

[Anchor]

Led by Hwang Sun-woo and Kim Woo-min, South Korean swimming must engage in fierce competition against global swimming powerhouses China and Japan. To claim victory in this "Swimming Three Kingdoms," our athletes continued their intense training in Tokyo for the second consecutive day.

Reporter Ha Seong-nyong has the story.

[Reporter]

Hwang Sun-woo warmly greets Chinese coach Michael Ball, who previously served as a dedicated coach for SBS commentator Park Tae-hwan.

With rival Chinese athletes watching, our swimmers powerfully cut through the water to prepare for the showdown.

[Lee Ju-ho / Captain, National Swimming Team: Let's all fight hard for this Asian Games! Fighting!]

Having won more gold medals than Japan for the first time in history at the previous Hangzhou Games, South Korean swimming is expected to engage in a three-way battle with China and Japan once again.

The main battleground will be the men's freestyle events, where top aces will go all out. The head-to-head match between Kim Woo-min, a three-time champion at the last games, and China's 19-year-old ace Zhang Zhanshuo is generating intense interest.

The two will clash in at least five events. Earlier this year, Zhang Zhanshuo surpassed Kim Woo-min's personal best in Kim's signature 400m event and even defeated the Olympic champion.

[Kim Woo-min / National Swimming Team Member: Since I'm currently behind in terms of records, I think it actually gives me more strength. I plan to approach this with the mindset of a challenger.]

In his signature 200m freestyle event, Hwang Sun-woo faces an even more intense competition not only against Zhang Zhanshuo, but also 19-year-old Japanese newcomer Murasa.

Murasa pushed Hwang Sun-woo down to fourth place at last year's World Championships to claim the bronze medal. Hwang has vowed to defend his title by leveraging his advantage in records and experience.

[Hwang Sun-woo / National Swimming Team Member: Having the fastest PB (personal best) is my biggest strength, and I will do my best to climb to the highest spot on the podium.]

In the 800m freestyle relay, where Korea won its first-ever team gold medal in Hangzhou, the time differences with China and Japan are less than one second each. The 100m freestyle—featuring Olympic champion Pan Zhanle, Hwang Sun-woo, and Kim Young-beom—is also too close to call.

The heated swimming showdown among Korea, China, and Japan kicks off the day after tomorrow, September 20, starting with the men's 100m freestyle.

(Photo courtesy of Park Hyun-cheol | Video by Park Jung-sam | Graphics by Lee Ga-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.