Kim Woo-min (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Office) has decided to compete in the men's 400m relay preliminaries after withdrawing from individual events due to a shoulder injury. Although his condition is not fully recovered, he aims to alleviate the physical burden on his teammates who will compete in the finals.
According to the Korea Swimming Federation, Kim Woo-min will participate in the men's 400m relay preliminaries at the Tokyo Aquatics Center in Japan on September 24 at 11:02 a.m. He will swim in lane 4 of heat 1 alongside teammates Ji Yoo-chan, Lee Ho-jun, and Kim Min-seob.
Prior to this competition, Kim was diagnosed with a partial tear of the rotator cuff and cartilage in his left shoulder, as well as impingement syndrome. In the final of the 1500m freestyle on September 22, he finished eighth with a time of 15:16.52 after experiencing severe shoulder pain during the race. He subsequently withdrew from the 200m freestyle and the 800m freestyle events scheduled for today.
Despite these challenges, Kim expressed his intention to compete in the relay, stating that he wants to support his teammates by conserving their energy for the finals later in the day. The federation officially noted, "Although Kim Woo-min's condition is not perfect, he has conveyed his desire to participate in the men's 400m relay preliminaries to help reduce the physical burden on his fellow competitors in the finals."
If Korea advances past the preliminaries, key members are expected to compete in the finals later in the afternoon. Notable swimmers Kim Young-beom and Hwang Sun-woo, who won silver and bronze medals in the 100m freestyle, are preparing for their events. The competition is expected to be fierce, with Chinese swimmers such as world record holder Pan Zhanle and Zhang Jianzhu, who has already won four gold medals at this event, also in contention.
Kim Woo-min is also preparing to compete in his main event, the 400m freestyle, on the final day of the competition, September 25. However, the Korea Swimming Federation has stated that they will continue to monitor his condition and will take necessary actions if it is deemed too strenuous for him to compete.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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