2025 KOREAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Day four of the 2025 Korean Swimming Championships unfolded from Gimcheon with another name added to the nation’s roster for this summer’s World Championships.
Kim Seung-won, just 15 years of age, clocked a time of 1:00.28 to take the women’s 100m backstroke.
That represented a new lifetime best for the teen, dipping under the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 1:00.46 needed for Singapore in the process.
Kim’s outing now renders her Korea’s 3rd-fastest performer of all time, sitting only behind national record holder Lee Eun-ji and Im Dasol who own respective quicker marks of 1:00.03 and 1:00.16.
As for Kim, given her young age, she still has plenty of time to chase a sub-1:00 100m backstroke performance, one which would make her the first-ever Korean female to accomplish the feat.
Already qualified for the World Championships in the men’s 200m back, national record holder Lee Ju-ho doubled up with the 100m back event as well.
Lee registered a result of 53.49 to comfortably clear the ‘A’ cut of 53.94
Lee owns the national record, courtesy of the 53.32 notched in 2022, so the 30-year-old was just .17 off that lifetime best to grab the gold.
Of note, the men’s 200m free prelims took place today with Olympic finalist and world champion Hwang Sunwoo in the water.
After missing the qualification standard in the 100m free last night, Hwang touched in 1:48.02 to lead a trio of sub-1:50 swimmers out of the heats.
Joining him was Lee Ho-jun who nabbed the 2nd seed in 1:48.84 and Kim Junwoo was next in 1:49.63 to put his hat in the ring for tomorrow’s main event.
South Korean World Championships Qualifiers Through Day 4
- Lee Eun-ji – women’s 200m back
- Lee Ju-ho – men’s 200m back, 100m back
- Choi Dongyeol – men’s 100m breast
- Kim Youngbeom – men’s 100m free
- Kim Seung-wen – women’s 100m back
