2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup – Incheon
- Friday, October 24th – Sunday, October 26th
- Shanghai, China
- Prelims at 9:30 am local (8:30 pm ET previous night)/Finals at 6:30 pm local (6:30 am ET)
- SCM (25m)
- Meet Central
- Event Schedule
- Entries Book
- Live Results
- Day 1 Finals Live Recap
Ji Yuchan was the delight of his home crowd on the opening night of the World Cup stop in Incheon, as the Korean ripped a time of 20.80 in the final of the men’s 50 freestyle (SCM) to claim the victory.
The performance gives Ji sole possession of the Asian Record, having matched the previous mark of 20.95 in the prelims.
The Asian Record previously belonged to Japan’s Kosuke Matsui, who clocked 20.95 at the 2019 Japanese Championships.
Ji’s swim in the prelims knocked more than half a second off the Korean National Record, which stood at 21.54 from Yang Jaehoon in 2022. With his swim in the final, Ji brought the Korean Record down by nearly three-quarters of a second (0.74) in one day.
All-Time Asian Performers, Men’s 50 Freestyle (SCM)
- Ji Yuchan (KOR), 20.80 – 2024
- Kosuke Matsui (JPN), 20.95 – 2019
- Ian Ho (HKG), 20.99 – 2022
- Teong Tzen Wei (SPG), 21.09 – 2023
- Katsumi Nakamura (JPN), 21.16 – 2018
🇰🇷World Cup #2 Incheon #SWC2024
男子50Fr
チ・ユチャン 20.80=AR🇰🇷Ji Yuchanが🇯🇵松井浩亮が持っていた短水路アジア記録を更新！ pic.twitter.com/OQe7skNKrg
— 競泳NEWS (@swimcoverage) October 24, 2024
The 22-year-old won the event by a relatively wide margin, with Australians Isaac Cooper (21.07) and Jamie Jack (21.09) joining him on the podium.
Ji had his breakout performance come last fall at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he won gold in the men’s 50 free in a time of 21.72, a new Korean Record in the long course pool.
He followed up by placing 12th at the 2024 World Championships in 21.87, and in his debut Olympics in Paris, placed 22nd in 22.16.
