Cho Sung-jae races to bronze in men's breaststroke swimming
Summary
TOKYO — Cho Sung-jae won bronze in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke swimming at the Asian Games on Thursday, becoming only the second South Korean to medal in the event. He finished in 2:08.76 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, behind Japan’s Shin Ohashi, who set a world record, and Kyrgyzstan’s Denis Petrashov. Cho held off Hong Kong’s Adam Mak Sai-ting by 0.01 second.
Key Facts
- Cho clocked 2:08.76 for third place in the 10-man final.
- Shin Ohashi of Japan won gold in 2:04.83 and set a world record.
- Denis Petrashov of Kyrgyzstan took silver in 2:08.67.
- Cho joined Choi Kyu-woong as the only South Koreans to win an Asian Games medal in the men’s 200m breaststroke.
- Cho said the bronze was his first individual medal in his third Asian Games appearance.
Cho Sung-jae of South Korea poses with his medal after winning bronze in the men's 200-meter breaststroke swimming event at the Asian Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo, Thursday. Yonhap
TOKYO — Cho Sung-jae earned bronze in the men's 200-meter breaststroke swimming at the Asian Games on Thursday, becoming only the second South Korean to reach the podium in this event.
Cho clocked 2:08.76 for third place, as Shin Ohashi of Japan set a world record with a time of 2:04.83 and Denis Petrashov of Kyrgyzstan won silver in 2:08.67 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Cho touched the 50m pad in sixth place and moved to fifth place at the halfway mark. He was in fourth with 50m to go, trailing Ippei Watanabe of Japan by 0.67 second. But Cho found another gear and covered the last 50m in 33.30 seconds, the third-fastest split in the 10-man final.
Cho held off Adam Mak Sai-ting of Hong Kong by 0.01 second.
Cho joins Choi Kyu-woong, a joint silver medalist in 2010, as the only South Koreans to win an Asiad medal in the men's 200m breaststroke.
Cho Sung-jae of South Korea celebrates after winning bronze in the men's 200-meter breaststroke swimming event at the Asian Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo, Thursday. Yonhap
Cho, 25, earned his first individual medal in his third Asian Games appearance.
"It has been almost six years since I last got into the 2:08 range," Cho said. "I was so desperate for a medal here and I think it showed."
He said he was pleased with how he managed his race.
"I think it all went according to my plan," he said. "I didn't fall too far back over the final stretch."
Cho admitted he felt Ohashi, only 17, was going to be so good that he never even thought about catching him.
"I think everyone was just gunning for second place," Cho said. "I had no idea he was going to get the world record, thought. I am just happy that I won a medal in this race."
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