In his Asian Games debut next month in Hangzhou, China, Kim Woo-min will try to do what no South Korean swimmer has done before: win four gold medals at a single Asiad.
Kim, who turned 22 on Thursday, hasn't shied away from openly stating his goal of becoming a quadruple gold medalist. Before an open training session at the National Training Center in the central county of Jincheon on his birthday, the emerging freestyle swimmer said he will enjoy the growing attention surrounding his pursuit of the historic medal haul.
"I really want to make a memorable debut at my first Asian Games," Kim said. "I am going to try to enjoy the pressure that comes with trying to win four gold medals."
Kim will compete in three individual races -- 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle -- and the men's 4x200m freestyle relay.
Kim owns the national record in the 800m freestyle with 7:47.69, set at the World Aquatics Championships held last month in Fukuoka, Japan.
But it's the 400m that Kim has the most confidence in, and justifiably so. Kim finished fifth in that race at the world championships with a personal best time of 3:43.92. He was the only Asian in the final.
Prior to the Fukuoka race, Kim's personal best had been 3:45.59. He first improved that mark to 3:44.52 in the heats in Fukuoka before entering the 3:43 territory in the final.
"Since I've entered the 3:43 range, I am pretty confident I can finish first at the Asian Games," Kim said. "But I won't let my guard down and will try to improve on my personal record."
Doing so would take Kim closer to the national record of 3:41.53, set by Park Tae-hwan at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Park, the only South Korean swimmer to have won an Olympic gold and a world title, inspired a new generation of swimmers, such as Kim, who said he wants to take down his idol's record someday.
"It has long been my goal to break his record. I don't know if I'll be able to do it in Hangzhou, though," Kim said. "But I will keep working hard toward that record."
Kim will also be part of the ascendant 4x200m freestyle relay team. Kim, Hwang Sun-woo, Lee Ho-joon and Yang Jae-hoon broke their own national record twice en route to a sixth-place finish at last month's world championships. South Korea was the only Asian team competing in the final.
"We're all in great form, especially after breaking the national record this year," Kim said. "All we have left to do now is to go out there and show people what we can do."
This likely won't be Kim's last Asiad, but Kim said he will compete like it will be.
"With every race, I don't want to have any regrets at the end," Kim said. "If I have even a tiny bit of regret, I think it will gnaw at me for a long time."
Source: Yonhap News Agency