South Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo has officially broken into the 1:43 range in the men’s 200-meter freestyle, achieving a historic milestone for Korean swimming.

At the 106th National Sports Festival in Busan, Hwang touched the wall at 1:43.92, becoming only the seventh competitor in history to swim under 1:44 in the event.

The exclusive list includes Paul Biedermann (Germany), Michael Phelps (US), David Popovici (Romania), Yannick Agnel (France), Luke Hobson (USA) and Danila Izotov (Russia) — a lineup of some of the sport’s all-time great freestylers.

Hwang’s performance not only cements his place among this elite group, but also gives him a decisive edge over his longtime rival, Sun Yang of China, whose best official 200-meter time remains above 1:44.

It also sets a new Asian record, further establishing Hwang as one of the leading forces in global swimming.


don@heraldcorp.com