"Fireworks Direct Man"Kim Woo-min's unexpected 銅 "Miracle on Lane 1, the secret of my medal is my swimming"

Jul 28, 2024

'Fireworks Direct Man'Kim Woo-min's unexpected 銅 'Miracle on Lane 1, the secret of my medal is my swimming'
The men's 400m freestyle final of the '2024 Paris Olympics" held at La Defense Arena in Paris, France on the 28th (Korea time). Kim Woo-min, who won the bronze medal, is taking a selfie with Lucas Mertens (Germany, center) of the gold medal and Eliza Winnington (Australia) of the silver medal. Paris (France) = Reporter Chung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.7.28/



'Fireworks Direct Man'Kim Woo-min's unexpected 銅 'Miracle on Lane 1, the secret of my medal is my swimming'
The men's 400m freestyle final of the '2024 Paris Olympics" held at La Defense Arena in Paris, France on the 28th (Korea time). Kim Woo-min, who won the bronze medal, is thrilled. Paris (France) = Reporter Chung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.7.28/
"My swimming to the end is the secret of the Olympic medal."

"'Fireworks Straight Man' Kim Woo-min (23, Gangwon Provincial Government) shed tears on the first lane with the Olympic medal he was so desperate for. Kim Woo-min ranked third with a time of 3:42.50 in the men's 400m freestyle final at the Paris Olympics held at La Defense Arena in Paris on the 28th (Korea time). Since Park Tae-hwan's silver medal at the 2012 London Games, he has won his first medal in Korean swimming in 12 years. Lucas Martens of Germany took gold and silver medals with 3:41:78 and Elijah Winnington of Australia with 3:42.21.
'Fireworks Direct Man'Kim Woo-min's unexpected 銅 'Miracle on Lane 1, the secret of my medal is my swimming'
The men's 400m freestyle preliminary event was held at La Defense Arena in Paris, France on the 27th (Korea time). Kim Woo-min's race. Paris (France) = Reporter Chung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.7.27/
'Fireworks Direct Man'Kim Woo-min's unexpected 銅 'Miracle on Lane 1, the secret of my medal is my swimming'
The men's 400m freestyle final of the '2024 Paris Olympics" held at La Defense Arena in Paris, France on the 28th (Korea time). Kim Woo-min is cheering with his fist clenched after winning the bronze medal. Paris (France) = Reporter Chung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.7.28/
'Fireworks Direct Man'Kim Woo-min's unexpected 銅 'Miracle on Lane 1, the secret of my medal is my swimming'
The men's 400m freestyle final of the '2024 Paris Olympics" held at La Defense Arena in Paris, France on the 28th (Korea time). Kim Woo-min is cheering with his fist clenched after winning the bronze medal. Paris (France) = Reporter Chung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.7.28/
It was a rollercoaster day. Kim Woo-min, who was predicted by foreign media as a medal candidate, unexpectedly struggled in the preliminary round. He recorded a time of 3:45.52 that did not match his personal record of 3:42.42 and the spurt did not come up after 300 meters. After finishing fourth in the group, he was nervous about the results of the next group, and was named seventh overall, dramatically in the first lane of the final.

However, the Olympic medal falls in the sky. The crisis was an opportunity. For Kim Woo-min, lane 1 worked as luck. Lane 1 has a high water resistance and is difficult to check against, but it was perfect for Kim Woo-min's style. In the preliminary round, the pace shook as he competed against 'Rival' Samuel Shorts of Australia in the lane just next door. Coach Jeon Dong-hyun professed to Kim Woo-min that `If you swim as you usually do, you will win a medal.' Kim Woo-min's swimming is a straightforward instinct. Even when he won the Doha World Championship in February, he showed a crazy performance with a new world record pace. Swim of 'straight forward' without 'pull and pull'pull', showing the Olympic winning move in the way he does best. He achieved his dream of a podium by going straight without hesitation in lane 1. He focused only on his own race and consistently maintained second place after Martens. The situation that came while watching the races of the opponents in the last 350-400m section also helped to endure. In the final 50m section, he lost second place to Winnington, but beat Samuel Short (Australia, 3:42.64) by 0.14 seconds to keep the podium. Kim Woo-min said, "I saw other players when I went 350m, and I thought it would be worth a try. It was very hard when I went 350m. After the last turn, I felt like my limbs were burning, but I thought it was a weight I had to bear for the Olympic medal, so I endured and overcame it," he said, explaining the moment he confirmed his medal. Kim Woo-min said "Because I have a good speed, it is my swimming to run from the first half without stopping other players." I needed the physical strength to support it to the end, but I think I endured it well today, he said with a smile.



'Fireworks Direct Man'Kim Woo-min's unexpected 銅 'Miracle on Lane 1, the secret of my medal is my swimming'
Taegeukgi to be hoisted at Olympic swimming pool

Behind Kim Woo-min's anti-war bronze medal is the golden generation of players and leaders. After lane 1 was decided, best friends such as Hwang Sun-woo, coach Jeon Dong-hyun and trainer Park Ji-hoon talked about memories of 'Melbourne lane 8'. It is a story that Hwang Sun-woo won a miraculous gold medal in lane 8 after suffering a broken index finger at the Melbourne Short Course World Championships last year. Thirteen years ago, Park Tae-hwan also won the gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle with the miracle of lane 1 at the Shanghai World Championships. Kim Woo-min "Talked about it since I got lane 1 today. It really cheered me up to hear that Korean swimming is strong in lane 1 and lane 8." "Our team is strong and energetic, so we always give each other faith and strength. During hard training, the coach and trainer repeatedly thanked him, saying, `I'm sure I'll win a medal, I'll make an accident.' He threw these words like a joke, but it was no joke `He really had a heart.' Chung Chang-hoon, chairman of the Korea Swimming Federation, who met before the game, also said, "(The medal) will be won unconditionally. You can trust me. If Woo-min doesn't win a medal, we will defect to the country," he said, expressing his absolute belief.

At the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, Kim Woo-min failed to win a ticket to the individual event. He only competed in the men's 800m relay. Lucas Martens was also 12th in Tokyo (3:46.30). Three years later, the swimming youth, which had grown up, went side by side to the podium. You are young enough to do anything. "Olympic medals have been my dream since I started swimming, but I didn't expect them to be this soon at the Tokyo Olympics," Kim Woo-min said. "There will be juniors who will be stimulated by seeing my medals today. I want to have more players like that come up and grow more together."



Kim Woo-min, the leader of the golden generation, made a good start to the Paris Olympics. Kim Woo-min said, `The athletes will have confidence and courage by winning medals on the first day. It is a good start for swimming in Korea. "Wouldn't another miracle come out even when Sun-woo Hwang and the men's 800m relay stand?" he said, before leaving a word of 'Chon Chul Murder'. "I think lane 1 is pretty good, too."





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