NANTERRE — South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min has qualified for the final in the men’s 400-meter freestyle at the Paris Olympics, enhancing his chances to add to his country’s Olympic swimming legacy.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim secured his spot in the final by placing seventh overall in the heats with a time of 3:45.52, at the Paris La Defense Arena. The final, featuring the top eight swimmers from the heats, is slated for Saturday evening local time, which corresponds to early Sunday morning in South Korea.
Kim, the reigning world champion in the 400m freestyle, aims to join the ranks of Park Tae-hwan, the only other South Korean swimmer to have won an Olympic medal in swimming. Park’s impressive record includes a gold and a silver in the 400m freestyle from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, respectively. Kim’s advancement marks a significant moment as the men’s 400m freestyle final will be the first swimming medal event of this year’s Games.