Swimmer Park aims to set best at FINA Worlds

Park Tae-hwan swims during a practice session at the Munhak Park TAe-hwan Aquatics Center in Incehon, Monday. / Yonhap

Park Tae-hwan focusing on 200, 400-meter freestyle

By Baek Byung-yeul

Park Tae-hwan

Swimming star Park Tae-hwan said Monday he aims to break his personal best record at the upcoming International Swimming Federation (FINA) World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in July.

“As you know, there will be the FINA World Championships this year. I hope I can provide good news there. I have already started my personal training for the new year,” Park told reporters at Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatics Center in Incheon. “Though I had suffered through hard times last year, I was able to deliver good news in the end. I want to bring good news throughout this year.”

It was a turbulent year for the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medalist.

The 27-year-old was suspended in 2015 for 18 months by FINA for testing positive for banned testosterone supplements. After serving his ban, he tried to join the Korean national team for the Rio Summer Olympics but still remained ineligible as the Korean Olympics Committee (KOC) bans athletes who have been suspended for doping from representing the country for three years starting the day their international ban ends.

Disobeying the controversial regulation, Park took the KOC to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the top international sports tribunal ruled in his favor. After the legal fuss, Park finally participated in the Rio Summer Games last year but fizzled out there, failing to make the finals in the 100, 200 and 400-meter freestyle races.

Park then made a successful return as he won two races at the Korean National Sports Festival in October and four races at the Asian Swimming Championship in Tokyo in November. However, he shocked the nation in November when he revealed that former vice sports Minister Kim Chong urged him not to compete at the Olympics. Kim is suspected of aiding Choi Soon-sil, a longtime friend of President Park Geun-hye and is suspected of interfering with state affairs. Kim allegedly assisted Choi to launch lucrative sports projects and has been indicted on charges of abuse of authority and passing on state secrets to Choi.

Despite the rollercoaster ride, Park completed last season, winning three events ― the 200, 400, and 1,500-meter freestyle ― at the FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships in Canada last month.

“I haven’t decided what events I will compete in at the FINA World Championships. But whichever they are, I would like to post good records,” Park said.

Park said his goal at the FINA Worlds would be 200 and 400-meter freestyle races and he would focus on those two.

“I really would love to win every event. I am greedy and I want to win the 200-meter freestyle. I also have a dream to win the 400-meter title as it is the event that I claimed the gold medal for at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. For me, it is a symbolic event.

“For other events, I am not sure whether I can compete or not. I may challenge for the 1,500 meters but I feel pressure to achieve a good record. I will focus on the 200 and 400-meter races there,” he said.

Park added his goal at the World Championship will be setting a personal best record.

“My goal has always been to break my personal best record. It has been seven years since I set my best in 2010. After the Rio Games, I posted good records at the Korean National Sports Festival. I am pretty confident that I can renew my best within two years,” Park said.

Park also said he is willing to swim in next year’s Asian Games in Jakarta. “I put more importance on next year’s Asian Games than the 2020 Summer Olympics. Also, people around me are already telling me about competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but I don’t want to just fizzle out there,” he said.