WJR Holder Eddie Wang Named Taiwan’s ‘Best Male Athlete’

18-year-old Eddie Wang has been named best male athlete of Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) at the nation’s Sports Elite Awards ceremony today, December 19th.

During season 2 of the International Swimming League (ISL), Cali Condor swimmer Wang became just the ninth swimmer in history to break the 1:50 barrier in the men’s 200 butterfly. The teen clocked a mark of 1:49.89 to lower the world junior record for the third time across the Budapest bubble season.

Wang, who was born on January 23, 2002, doesn’t turn 19 until next year. Under FINA rules for World Junior Records, male swimmers are age-eligible through December 31 of the year in which they turn 18.

Last year Wang was named ‘best new talent’ after having qualified for the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games and become the first Taiwanese to medal at a U.S. Open Swimming Championships. Wang hit his Olympic “A” cut in the 200 fly in long course at the 2019 National Games when he swam 1:55.72, and came very close to a personal best at the 2019 US Open when he swam 1:55.82 in the “A” final for 2nd place.

Wang’s aforementioned 1:49.89 WJR now ranks him as the 3rd fastest swimmer in the world this season.