Swimming and track and field are also expected to be ‘golden’.

Swimming and athletics are the foundation sports, but they are one of Korea’s weak links. However, the Hangzhou Asian Games will be different. “With the change in the sports system, we are starting to see results in the basic sports, and there is also a generation change,” said Lee Ki-heung, president of the Korean Sports Federation.

First, swimming is expected to have its best ever performance. This is the so-called ‘golden generation’. At the center of this are Hwang Sun-woo and Kim Woo-min (both of Gangwon Province). Hwang Sun-woo is South Korea’s leading swimmer. He will be aiming for a triple gold medal in the 100m and 200m freestyle and the 800m freestyle relay.

In the 100-meter freestyle, he will have to go head-to-head with China’s Fan Zhanle. With home advantage, Fan Zhanle will be a tough competitor for Huang. The Chinese swimmer has shown great improvement, finishing fourth in the 100m freestyle at the Fukuoka World Championships.

Kim Woo-min will be aiming to win a quadruple. He will compete for gold in the 400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle and the team event. At the Fukuoka World Championships in July, Kim broke her personal records in both the 400 and 800 meters freestyle. “I will make a spectacular debut (at the Asian Games),” he said.

South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min performs an open training session during the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games D-30 Media Day at the Jincheon National Athletes’ Village in North Chungcheong Province on Aug. 24. Aug. 24, 2023. Jincheon | Park Jin-up Reporter upandup@sportsseoul.com

The 800-meter freestyle relay, in which Hwang and Kim are expected to compete together, is one of the events the team has been focusing on for a long time. Hwang and Kim will be joined by Yang Jae-hoon (Gangwon Provincial Office) and Lee Ho-joon (Daegu City Hall). They will be aiming for their first ever Asian Games team gold medal.

An all-time gold medal is also not out of the question. At Guangzhou 2010, Korea won four golds (three silvers and six bronzes), its best result at an Asian Games. At Doha 2006, they won the most medals ever (18), but only three golds (two silver and 13 bronze). At Incheon 2014, Korea went ‘no-gold’, and at Jakarta-Palembang 2018, Kim Seo-young (Gyeongbuk Provincial Government) narrowly missed out on gold in the women’s 200m individual medley.

Athletics also has a strong gold medal contender. That would be high jumper Woo Sang-hyuk (Yongin City Hall). Woo has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with not only in Asia but also on the world stage. After finishing fourth (2.35 meters) at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he has gone from strength to strength. No matter the venue. He performed at the World Indoor Championships (gold) and last year’s World Athletics Championships (silver).

On Sunday (July 17), he won the World Athletics Diamond League Final with a personal outdoor best of 2.35 meters.

Woo will be competing against Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar). Barsim is no stranger to the Asian Games, having won back-to-back gold medals in Guangzhou 2010 and Incheon 2014. He did not compete in Jakarta-Palembang 2018 due to an ankle injury. His compatriot Woo Sang-hyuk won the silver medal with a jump of 2.28 meters. In terms of season’s best, Barsim’s 2.36m is ahead of Woo (2.33m). His personal best is also 2m43, while Woo’s is 2m36.

If Woo wins gold, he will become the first Korean athlete to win an Asian Games gold medal in the men’s high jump in 21 years after Lee Jin-taek won gold in Busan 2002.먹튀검증

The modern pentathlon, in which an athlete competes in fencing, swimming, equestrian and laser run (athletics plus shooting), is also a strong gold medal contender. A total of four gold medals are up for grabs in the men’s and women’s team events. South Korea will try to win all the events. Modern pentathlon ‘signature’ Jeon Woong-tae will be aiming for a second straight Asian Games individual title, as well as a double.