Diver Kim Yeong-nam Claims Silver, Stopping China's Sweep

[Anchor]

Thirty-year-old veteran diver Kim Yeong-nam has won a valuable silver medal in the men's 1-meter springboard event. By preventing Chinese athletes from sweeping the medals, he claimed his sixth career Asian Games medal.

Reporter Kim Hyeong-yeol has the story.

[Reporter]

Competing in his fourth consecutive Asian Games since the 2014 Incheon Games—where he won five medals exclusively in synchronized events alongside partner divers—Kim Yeong-nam soared powerfully toward his first individual medal.

He started in fourth place after the first round, but moved up a step in the second round with a high-difficulty routine involving three and a half rotations. In the third round, he showcased a brilliant aerial maneuver executing two and a half rotations with a single twist, overtaking China's Liu Chengcan to climb to second place.

He sealed his success in the fifth round.

Taking off facing forward, he completed two and a half backward rotations before slipping smoothly into the water, earning a high score of 68.80 points to widen the gap with Liu Chengcan to more than 14 points.

After cleanly finishing the final sixth round, Kim Yeong-nam secured the silver medal behind Paris Olympic champion Wang Zongyuan of China.

Having prevented Chinese athletes from sweeping both the gold and silver medals and stepping onto the podium for the first time in an individual event, he briefly moistened his eyes upon receiving his precious medal.

Waving to the cheering fans led to a brief misunderstanding,

[Wang Zongyuan: Is that your child?]

[Kim Yeong-nam / National Diving Team: My child? No, no, no. I am single.]

With a bright smile, he enjoyed the joy of his sixth career medal.

[Kim Yeong-nam / National Diving Team: I am so happy because it feels like I am finally being rewarded for all the hard work I've put in. I would appreciate it if you could continue to show a lot of support for South Korean diving.]

In the women's 1-meter springboard, Kim Su-ji also claimed a dramatic bronze medal.

Starting in seventh place after the first round, she steadily climbed the rankings to finish third behind the Chinese competitors.

Following her silver medal in the 3-meter synchronized diving the previous day, Kim Su-ji won a medal for the second consecutive day and will aim for her third medal of this competition in the 3-meter springboard on September 30.

Video by Hwang Ji-young | Graphics by Seo Seung-hyun
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.