Kim Jun-woo shares silver medal in men's 800m freestyle swimming
Kim Jun-woo of South Korea celebrates after winning silver in the men's 800-meter freestyle swimming event at the Asian Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo, Thursday. Yonhap
TOKYO — Kim Jun-woo earned a joint silver medal in the men's 800-meter freestyle swimming at the Asian Games on Thursday for his first career individual medal.
Kim and Kaito Tabuchi of Japan finished with the identical time of 7:43.86 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. In swimming, ties are recorded and awarded to the one-hundredth of a second.
Zhang Zhanshuo of China won the gold with an Asian Games record time of 7:42.49.
Kim had earlier helped South Korea win bronze in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay.
The 19-year-old said he was happy to see his hard work pay off in his Asian Games debut.
Kim is also the second straight South Korean medalist in this race, after Kim Woo-min's gold in 2023.
Kim Jun-woo of South Korea competes in the men's 800-meter freestyle swimming final at the Asian Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo, Thursday. Yonhap
Kim Woo-min won his gold in 7:46.03, and Kim Jun-woo was 2.17 seconds faster on Thursday.
"Since this was my first major international competition, I came in with a focus on my time, rather than my placement," Kim Jun-woo said. "It would have been nice to finish higher but I am pleased with my time here."
Kim Woo-min did not have a chance to defend his gold medal here due to shoulder injury. After finishing last in the men's 1,500m freestyle Tuesday, he revealed he had been dealing with a partially torn labrum and rotator cuff in his left shoulder and decided to pull out of the 800m race.
"He told me to have a good race for him and I am happy I came through for him," Jun-woo said. "When we are in the pool, we are both competitors. But outside, he is like my brother. I hope to see him back healthy."