The Korean women's swimming team secured a bronze medal in the women's 400m medley relay, concluding their schedule at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Competing at the Tokyo Aquatics Center on September 25, the team of Kim Seung-won (Gyeonggi Physical Education High School), Park Si-eun (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Sports Council), Ahn Se-hyun (Jeju City Hall), and Heo Yeon-kyung (Daejeon Metropolitan City Facilities Management Corporation) finished third with a time of 4:00.67.
China won the gold medal with a new tournament record of 3:54.55, while Japan took silver with a time of 3:57.64.
Starting in lane three, Korea maintained a position in the top three from the beginning of the race. Kim Seung-won, the first swimmer, completed her leg in 1:00.00, followed by Park Si-eun, who kept the momentum going in the breaststroke. Ahn Se-hyun held onto third place in the butterfly leg, and Heo Yeon-kyung, the final swimmer in freestyle, ensured the bronze by not allowing any challengers to catch up.
This race marked the final event for the Korean swimming team at the tournament, which concluded with the team standing on the podium in their last competition.
On the final day, medals were also earned in men's events. Lee Joo-ho won silver in the men's 200m backstroke with a time of 1:56.58, and Kim Min-seob secured bronze in the men's 200m butterfly with a time of 1:55.94. With the addition of the women's medley relay bronze, Korea finished the swimming competition with a total of 20 medals: 1 gold, 6 silver, and 13 bronze.
Although the number of gold medals fell short of expectations, the growth of younger athletes was highlighted as a positive outcome. Kim Young-beom earned 1 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals, establishing his presence on the international stage. Kim Jun-woo also won silver in the men's 800m freestyle, while Park Si-eun set a new Korean record in the women's 200m breaststroke, earning a silver medal.
The national team plans to build on the progress of its emerging talents as they prepare for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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