Injured Kim Woo-min finishes last in 1,500m freestyle swimming

TOKYO — In a surprising performance at the Asian Games, South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min concluded last among the eight finalists in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle event on Tuesday. The 2023 silver medalist clocked 15:16.52, placing him eighth at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Kim had been struggling all race, trailing by over 34 seconds from the winner, Zhang Zhanshuo of China.

He had been in third place after the initial 600 meters but began to falter beyond that point, ultimately finishing last at the 800-meter mark. Following the race, Kim revealed that he had been dealing with a partially torn labrum and rotator cuff injury in his left shoulder for the past two months. Kim had earlier helped South Korea secure a bronze in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay earlier on Monday.

Kim was scheduled to compete in four more races, including the 200m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, and 400m freestyle on the last day of swimming. However, just after his 1,500m race, national team officials announced that Kim would not be participating in the 200m freestyle.