Korean Men's Swimming Relay Team Targets Second Consecutive Gold in 800m… Women's Volleyball Set for South Korea-Japan Semifinal Clash

The national men's swimming team is aiming for its second consecutive victory in the 800m freestyle relay at the Asian Games.

Hwang Sun-woo, Kim Woo-min, Lee Ho-joon, and Kim Young-bum will compete in the men's 800m freestyle relay at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre today (September 21) at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, targeting the gold medal.

The South Korean swimming team started the competition with one silver and two bronze medals.

Sprint rising star Kim Young-bum claimed the silver medal in the 100m freestyle final on September 20 with a time of 47.65 seconds.

Ace swimmer Hwang Sun-woo followed right behind to win the bronze medal with 47.79 seconds.

Another bronze medal was secured by swimming team captain Lee Ju-ho in the men's 100m backstroke.

Having started on a high note, Hwang Sun-woo and Kim Young-bum will team up with Kim Woo-min and Lee Ho-joon for the 800m relay, aiming to capture South Korea's first gold medal of this tournament.

The women's volleyball national team will face Japan in the semifinals to compete for a spot in the final, scheduled for 7:20 PM at the Park Arena Komaki in Aichi Prefecture.

If South Korea defeats formidable rival Japan, it will advance to the Asian Games final for the first time in 12 years since the 2014 Incheon Games, where it won the gold medal.

The national baseball team will begin its quest for a fifth consecutive Asian Games title against Taiwan at 6:30 PM at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture.

If they beat Taiwan, the path to the final is expected to be relatively smooth, but a defeat would mean facing a rocky road ahead.

Rain that began late yesterday afternoon in the Okazaki region is forecasted to continue today, making weather a potential variable in the match.

The women's football national team will wrap up their Group F matches with an inter-Korean showdown against North Korea at 4:30 PM at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa.

Both South Korea and North Korea have already secured two wins each, guaranteeing their spots in the quarterfinals.

A fierce battle is expected as finishing first in the group is crucial to securing a favorable bracket for the knockout stage.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.