‘This is Hangzhou’. From September 23rd to October 8th, this is the venue where the Asian Games will be held for the first time in five years. Perhaps because the wait itself has been long, the Hangzhou Asian Games are more important than ever to athletes. We bring you the details of the Hangzhou Asian Games in a deeper and more serious way.
The swimming event of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games was able to witness the ‘Korean swimming renaissance’ by bringing 22 medals to Korea and setting several new records. The swimmers finished the competition on the 29th.
After swimming, a new sport comes to sports fans at the Hangzhou Sports Park swimming pool. This is because diving, also known as the ‘art of a moment’, will begin competitions in earnest starting on the 30th. Nine Taegeuk warriors, led by Woo Ha-ram and Kim Su-ji, Lee Jae-kyung, Kim Young-taek, Kim Young-nam, Jo Eun-bi, Kim Na-hyeon, Moon Na-yoon, and Park Har-reum, are taking on a new challenge in Korean diving.
Of course, at the World Aquatics Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan last July, we recorded a disappointing performance in which only one person qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which was our goal, but we are aiming for a reorganization in this competition. A friendly competition is expected with China, which is building the ‘Great Wall’ in the diving industry.
‘Star of the Asian Games’, take over AG again
Korean diving had a particularly good relationship with the Asian Games. This is especially true of diving’s ‘signature’ athlete Woo Ha-ram (Korea Sports Promotion Foundation). Woo Ha-ram participated in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games when he was a freshman in high school and rose to stardom by winning four medals, including a silver medal in the 10m platform.
At the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, he added four more medals, including silver medals in the 3m synchroboard and 10m platform, and holds the record for the most medals at the Asian Games, the most among athletes participating in the Hangzhou Asian Games.
However, Woo Ha-ram fell into a slump after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to a back injury. In particular, at the Fukuoka World Championships last July, he suffered the disappointment of not being able to qualify for the Olympics, which was his goal. Attention is being paid to whether Woo Ha-ram will be able to continue the memories of the previous Asian Games and completely escape from the slump.
The performance of ‘brother players’ is also notable. They are brothers Kim Young-nam and Kim Young-taek (Jeju Provincial Office) who also participated in the last Tokyo Olympics. In particular, ‘younger brother’ Kim Young-taek has shown remarkable growth this season. He became a finalist at the World Championships in Fukuoka, becoming the only athlete to earn an Olympic ticket through the World Championships. 벳사랑
Youngnam Kim also won silver medals in succession at the Incheon and Jakarta competitions. The two brothers are focusing on the 10m platform, and attention is being paid to whether they can overcome other competition and show a good performance at the Asian Games.
‘All-rounder’ Lee Jae-kyung also stands out. Unlike Woo Ha-ram, who focuses on the 3m synchroboard, and brothers Kim Young-nam and Kim Young-taek, who only compete on the 10m platform, Lee Jae-kyung competes in both the 3m and 10m. At the last Fukuoka World Aquatics Championships, she ranked 4th with Kim Su-ji in the 3m springboard mixed synchro, and she is likely to expect good results at this competition as well.