PARIS – For the first time in history, South Korea has advanced to the final of the men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay at the Paris Olympics.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea achieved this milestone on Tuesday at the Paris La Defense Arena, finishing seventh in the qualifying heats with a time of 7:07.96. This achievement places them among the top eight teams that advanced to the final, where they will compete against teams from Britain, the United States, France, Australia, Germany, and China. Notably, the final will also include nine teams due to a tie between Israel and Japan for the eighth spot.
South Korea's quartet, comprising Lee Ho-joon, Lee Yoo-yeon, Kim Yeong-hyeon, and Kim Woo-min, showed a robust performance, with Kim Woo-min delivering a standout 200m split of 1:45.59. The team was particularly strengthened by their performance in the earlier heats, moving from sixth to fourth place, a promising sign for the upcoming final. The inclusion of Hwang Sun-woo, the 200m freestyle world champion, in the final adds to the team's strong prospects.