Jincheon: At the tender age of 16, Kim Seung-won owns the national record in the women's 50-meter backstroke swimming event with 27.71 seconds. She established that mark at the national team trials in March 2025. That same year, Kim won silver in the 50m backstroke at the junior world championships in Romania. She broke a 10-year competition record with 27.77 seconds in the semifinals before posting a slower time, 28 flat, in the final to take silver.
According to Yonhap News Agency, these strong results, combined with her appearance at the senior world championships last year in Singapore, have given the teenager plenty of confidence ahead of her first Asian Games in Japan next month. "Of course, I will be racing at my first Asian Games, but I think I have gained a lot of international experience already," Kim said at a joint press conference with the national swimming team Tuesday at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 85 kilometers south of Seoul. "I think I have learned a great deal along the way. I am confident my pace in training sessions has been good enough that I can set my sights on an Asian Games gold medal. I believe I can get there if I continue to work hard over the coming weeks."
The swimming squad boasts another young national record holder in Kim Young-beom, who has the mark in the men's 100m freestyle with 47.39 seconds. The 20-year-old made his Asian Games debut in 2023 as a member of the 4x100m freestyle relay team that won silver and will compete in individual races this fall in Tokyo -- the 50m and 100m freestyle. "My goal is to set personal-best times, and win gold medals in the 50m and 100m races," Kim said.
He will face some stiff competition in the 100m, where China's Pan Zhanle, who set a world record time of 46.40 seconds in winning the 2024 Olympic gold medal, will loom large. When asked if a 100m gold is a realistic goal, Kim said, "Absolutely, it is realistic." "I am a bit intimidated, but I have been training hard. And he is not unbeatable," Kim said of the Chinese star. "I believe I am working just as hard as he is, and the gold medal is possible."
Leading these brash youngsters will be 31-year-old captain Lee Ju-ho, who will look to add to his career total of six Asian Games medals. The backstroke specialist won two bronze medals in 2018, and two silver and two bronze medals in 2023. "I only had bronze medals at my first Asian Games and got a couple of silver medals at my second one. Now I am going for more medals at my third competition," Lee said. "Not many swimmers from Korea have won medals at three straight Asian Games. So it will mean a lot to our sport, not just for myself individually. I would like to inspire other swimmers with my performance this year."