2ND GWANGJU NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Saturday, June 10th – Thursday, June 15th
- Nambu University International Swimming Pool
- LCM (50m)
- Results
We reported how Korean Olympian Hwang Sunwoo nearly broke his own national record en route to winning the men’s 200m free while competing at the Gwangju National Swimming Championships.
20-year-old Hwang fired off a time of 1:44.61 to reclaim his spot atop the world rankings after seeing his crown taken away earlier this season by China’s Pan Zhanle. Pan’s lifetime best of 1:44.65 from last month’s Chinese Nationals marked the top time in the world, overtaking Hwang’s 1:44.67 from last October.
Tonight, Hwang opened in 50.70 and closed in 53.91 to produce the 2nd fastest time of his young career. Only his 1:44.47 en route to earning silver at last year’s World Championships has been swifter.
The men’s 200m free is one of the most crowded events on the agenda for Fukouka, with Romanian teen superstar David Popovici, reigning Olympic champion Tom Dean and British compatriot Matt Richards all in the hunt for gold.
Throw in the aforementioned Pan, Japan’s Katsuhiro Matsumoto, Germany’s Lucas Martens and the Fukuoka pool may very well be set aflame by the time the top 3 finishers are decided.