"Fireworks Direct Man"Kim Woo-min's unexpected 銅 "Miracle on Lane 1, the secret of my medal is my swimming"
Jul 28, 2024
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"'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.
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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.
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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."
sky4us@sportschosun.com
