From Asia’s Best to World Champion… Kim Woo-min, Olympic Medal is also Visible

Won the men's 400m freestyle at the Doha World Championships, setting a personal best record.

Kim Woo-min (22, Gangwon Provincial Office)'s status was upgraded from 'Asian men's freestyle middle and long distance strongest' to 'World Championship champion.'

After winning three gold medals (men's 400m, 800m freestyle, men's 800m relay) at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, Kim Woo-min said, "My goal in 2024 is to reach the podium at the Doha World Championships and to rank even higher at the Paris Olympics."

In the first test this year, Kim Woo-min exceeded his goal. 바카라사이트

Kim Woo-min was the first to hit the touchpad with a time of 3 minutes 42.71 seconds in the men's 400m freestyle final at the 2024 Doha International Aquatics Federation World Championships held at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar, on the 12th (Korean time).

Kim Woo-min, who increased his speed from the beginning of the race, beat the last-minute pursuit of Elijah Winnington (23, Australia), who placed second in 3 minutes 42.86 seconds, and won the gold medal.

Kim Woo-min enjoyed the honor of becoming the first gold medalist in the management category at the Doha World Championships.

He was also recorded as the first Korean World Aquatics Championships champion 13 years after Park Tae-hwan (won the 400m freestyle at the 2007 Melbourne and 2011 Shanghai Games).

Among Korean swimmers, only two, Kim Woo-min and Park Tae-hwan, have won gold medals at the World Championships.

In terms of records, Kim Woo-min is also increasing his speed toward the center of the world in the 400m freestyle.

After clocking 3:45.64 (sixth) at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, he touched the pad with 3:43.92 (fifth) in Fukuoka in 2023, then set his personal best with 3:42.71 in Doha this year.

The record was shortened by 1 second and 21 seconds.

Ahead of the Doha World Championships, Kim Woo-min said, "I will enter the 3:42 invitational mark at this World Championships and raise my record to the early 3:42 invitational mark at the Paris Olympics."

In Doha, Kim Woo-min achieved his goal by reaching the 3:42 mark.

After the game, Kim Woo-min said through his agency All That Sports, “Actually, I recorded a good record even though I wasn’t in the best condition.”

It was a word that raised expectations for winning a medal at the Paris Olympics.

Last year, Kim Woo-min said, “My style is to set high goals and work hard to achieve them,” and added, “Winning a medal at the Paris Olympics is a challenge worth taking on.”

Ahmed Hafnaoui (Tunisia), who took first place in the men's 400m freestyle at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, had a record of 3 minutes 43.36 seconds.

At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Mac Horton (Australia) became the champion in this event with a time of 3 minutes 41.55 seconds.

If Kim Woo-min, the '2024 World Championships champion' who has set a high goal and achieved it, reduces his record to the low 3 minutes and 42 seconds in Paris, Korean swimming will be followed by Park Tae-hwan (1st place in the 400m freestyle in Beijing in 2008 and 2nd place in the 200m freestyle in 2012).

The possibility of producing an Olympic medalist increases for the first time in 12 years since the 200m 400m and 200m freestyle wins in London in 2012.

If you are lucky, your first Olympic medal may also be decorated in gold, just as your first individual medal at the World Championships was decorated in gold.