2016 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- December 6th – December 11th, 2016
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- WFCU Centre
- SCM (25m)
- Prelims: 9:30 AM EST/Finals: 6:30 PM EST
- Start Lists/Results
- Live Stream ($)
Needless to say, Park Tae Hwan is off to a hot start in Windsor. Just two days in, he’s already claimed two golds. After taking the 400 free last night, Park defeated a stacked 200 free field out of lane 1 to win gold in a time of 1:41.03, breaking the Asian and SC World Championship Records in the process.
Park just took down the Championship Record by 0.05, squeaking by Ryan Lochte‘s mark of 1:41.08 from the 2010 Championships in Dubai. He broke his own Asian and Korean Record of 1:42.22, set at the Berlin stop of the World Cup all the way back in 2007.
The Korean led from the start, out in 23.56 at the 50 and 49.26 at the 100. Defending champ Chad Le Clos came storming home on the final 50 in 24.93, but settled for silver in 1:41.65. Bronze went to Russia’s Aleksandr Krasnykh in 1:41.95.
These are Park’s first SC World Championship medals in ten years, as he the last time he medaled was in Shanghai in 2006. He won silver in both the 400 and 1500 free there.
With his two best events out of the way, Park still has the 100 and 1500 freestyles on his schedule.
Let’s not forget he has been busted for testosterone and there is now lots of evidence that the effects of testosterone last for years.
Doping saga aside, best freestyler of all time.
I guess you’ve never heard of Ian Thorpe
Park smaller, superior and didn’t wear a full body suit.
How can he be the best freestyler of all time when he doesn’t hold a single world record and hasn’t won an Olympic gold? And don’t bring up the suits, because 6 WRs in LCM (including the 1500 free) have been set since they were banned. It’s a sport, not a beauty contest.
Check your facts before you type behind your screen. He was the first Asian male to win a gold medal in swimming when he won gold in the 400m freestyle on 2008.
When it came out that he doped (and he definitely did – a Korean friend of mine has the same doctor), I was really disappointed because he was my favorite freestyler for his size.
he is not the first Asian male to win a gold medal in swimming …Kitajima won gold in 2004
Yeah my bad you’re right. First Korean to win a medal of any sort in swimming. Apologies.
Proof Park choked harder in Rio than Kalisz at the 2015 NCAA’s in the 200 fly
Ah yes. That was a good one.
Let the diatribes begin…