Finswimming World Championships Conclude After Overcoming Disruptions from Protest Blockade

The 24th CMAS Finswimming World Championships, which faced setbacks due to a protest blockade at a vote-counting station in Jamsil, has successfully concluded after overcoming various difficulties.
The tournament, which opened at the Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatics Center in Incheon on the 24th, held its final events today and officially closed.
On this day, Kim Chan-young (Gangwon Underwater Finswimming Association) won the men's 100m surface event with an Asian record of 34.55 seconds.
Seo Ui-jin (Busan Sports Council) took home the silver medal in the women's 100m surface with a time of 38.92 seconds, and Lee Sung (Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall) earned a silver medal in the men's 800m surface with a time of 6 minutes and 20.63 seconds.
The South Korean national team finished third in the overall medal standings, securing 7 gold, 5 silver, and 5 bronze medals.
South Korea set numerous records on home soil.
Shin Myeong-jun (Seoul City Hall) won the men's 100m immersion event on the 25th with a world record of 30.70 seconds. Lee Sung won a gold medal in the men's 1,500m surface on the 24th with an Asian record of 12 minutes and 16.07 seconds, and Hwang Gyu-jin (Gyeongnam Sports Council) took gold in the men's 50m surface on the 26th with an Asian record of 15.03 seconds.
Meanwhile, the Korea Underwater Association, which organized the event, faced difficulties in preparation as its office at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was blockaded due to protests at the nearby Jamsil vote-counting station.
As the protests continued, the association encountered various issues, including having to abandon the retrieval of necessary equipment and placing new orders. Due to administrative delays, they also had to pay a penalty of 10,000 euros (approximately 17.5 million won) to the CMAS.
Additionally, because of the need to order new equipment, the South Korean national team was unable to have the Taegeukgi (the Korean national flag) printed on their swimming caps.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.