Park Tae-hwan knocked out of 200m freestyle

By Park Jae-hyuk

South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan is seen on his way out after competing in the men’s 200-meter freestyle event in Rio, Monday (KST). / Yonhap

South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan was knocked out of the 200-meter freestyle heat at the Rio Olympics, Monday (KST), just one day after he failed to qualify for the men’s 400-meter freestyle finals.

Park finished last among eight swimmers in the sixth and final heat at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.

He placed 29th among 47 competitors at 1:48.06. The top ten competitors advanced to the semifinals, headed by Sun Yang of China in first place at 1:45.75.

“I was afraid to look up at the scoreboard. I did not want to come out of the pool,” Park said after the competition. “I could not meet the expectations of the South Korean fans.”

Park said he could not give a last spurt as he was unable to move his shoulders freely during the competition.

“The swimmers in Rio were more competitive than those in 2012 and 2013,” he said.

Roh Min-sang, Park’s former coach, pointed out that Park did not have enough time to train.

“It is impossible for Tae-hwan to make it. His competitors have prepared for four years,” Roh said in an interview with local media.

Park had been suspended for 18 months for doping and could not participate in any international events during the suspension. Park had tested positive for Nebido, an anabolic steroid.

Park’s consecutive failures shocked South Korean fans, as the swimmer had won one gold medal and three silver at the Beijing and London Olympics.

Still, most fans in South Korea cheered for the swimmer.

But some Internet users expressed disappointment, leaving sarcastic comments on news reports positive about Park. They criticized his doping history indirectly, referring to the anabolic steroid for which Park had tested positive in September 2014.

Park will compete in the men’s 100-meter on Wednesday and 1,500-meter freestyle on Saturday. These events will be his last swimming events at the Rio Olympics.

Chances are slim that Park can reach the podium at the upcoming events, as he captured all his medals in the 400- and 200-meter freestyle races at the previous Olympics.

“I should do my best in every race.” Park said. “This is not the end of my swimming career. I hope the Rio Olympics will be a good experience for me.”