'Asia's Seal' Who Cut Through the Waves: The Beginning of Korean Swimming History

The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are now two days away.

The late Cho Oh-ryun, a first-generation South Korean swimming hero, was the first male gold medalist in swimming at the Asian Games.

He won two gold medals in both the 400-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle events at the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games and repeated the feat in the same events at the 1974 Tehran Asian Games, earning consecutive double crowns and the nickname "Asia's Seal."

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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.