2022 Swammy Awards: Asian Coach Of The Year – Jeon Dong-Hyun (KOR)

To see all of our 2022 Swammy Awards, click here.

2022 ASIAN COACH OF THE YEAR – JEON DONG-HYUN (KOR)

For the first time since 2015, a coach not named Norimasa Hirai has earned the Swammy Award for Asian Coach of the year.

South Korean coach Jeon Dong-Hyun is our 2022 award winner after having helped guide 19-year-old freestyle ace Hwang Sunwoo to a repeat short course world title in the men’s 200m freestyle.

Hailing from the Seol Physical Education High School, Dong-Hyun played a big part in Hwang’s sensational year, one which saw him first take the 200m freestyle silver at the World Championships (50m).

In Budapest, Hwang clocked a time of 1:44.47 to clinch the runner-up spot behind fellow teen phenom David Popovici of Romania. Hwang’s time established a new personal best but also a new national record, overtaking his own 1:44.62 from the 2020 Olympic Games.

Just months later, Hwang put on a show at the Short Course World Championships in Melbourne, firing off a monster effort to take the 2 free crown. His time of 1:39.72 marked the first SCM 200 free result under 1:40 since Frenchman Yannick Agnel accomplished the feat in 2012. Additionally, Hwang’s outing fell within a second of the storied World Record of 1:39.00 German Paul Biedermann put on the books in 2009.

Not only did Dong-Hyun foster Hwang’s freestyle prowess at home, but the coach wasn’t afraid to seek out assistance abroad. Along with teammates Lee Hojoon, Kim Woomin and Lee Yooyeon, Hwang traveled to Australia for a training stint under coach Ian Pope.

Pope, who previously trained the likes of Michael Klim, Grant Hackett and Giaan Rooney, helped hone Hwang’s craft, exchanging intel with Dong-Hyun to spread across the entire Korean contingent.

Not only did Hwang benefit, but the nation’s 4x200m freestyle squads were able to translate what they learned into improvements in the pool.

The Korean men’s 4x200m freestyle relay, which included Hwang, Lee and Kim as members, produced new national records at both the World Championships (50m) and Short Course World Championships.

In Budapest, the 800m free relay squad punched a time of 7:06.93 to place 6th, a significant upgrade for their 18th place from the 2019 edition of the World Championships (50m).

On the short course front, Korea’s time of 6:49.67 fell just .04 outside of the bronze medal position. The nation didn’t even field a men’s 4x200m free relay in Abu Dhabi.

HONORABLE MENTION:

• Kayahara Shigeki (JPN) – The coach of newly-minted short course 200m butterfly World Record holder Tomoru Honda earned runner-up status for his work with the 21-year-old. Honda ripped a time of 1:46.85 at October’s Japanese Championships to crush the previous WR mark of 1:48.24 teammate Daiya Seto put on the books at the 2018 FINA Short Course World Championships. This year Honda also posted a massive 1:52.70 long course 200 fly time while competing at the Japan Open earlier this month, becoming the #4 performer all-time in the process. Shigeki is the head coach at Arena Tsukinini Swim Club in Yamato City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Past Winners:

• 2021 Swammy – Norimasa Hirai
• 2020 Swammy – Norimasa Hirai
• 2019 Swammy – Norimasa Hirai
• 2018 Swammy — Norimasa Hirai & Takayuki Umehara
• 2017 Swammy — Norimasa Hirai
• 2016 Swammy — Norimasa Hirai
• 2015 Swammy — Sergio Lopez