Kim Seung-won takes bronze in women's 100m backstroke

On September 23, South Korean swimmer Kim Seung-won secured a bronze medal in the women's 100-meter backstroke at the Asian Games in Tokyo. The 16-year-old achieved a time of 1:00.10, finishing third behind Peng Xuwei of China, who won gold with a time of 59.30 seconds, and Rio Shirai of Japan, who took silver with a time of 59.89 seconds.

Kim led the race at the 50-meter turn, swimming the first 50 meters in 28.60 seconds. However, her final 50-meter split of 31.50 seconds was the sixth-fastest among the 10 swimmers in the final. Kim had previously won bronze in the 50-meter backstroke on Monday. Following the 100-meter backstroke, Kim contributed to South Korea's bronze medal win in the mixed 4x100-meter medley relay.

Despite her strong start, Kim admitted that she had mistimed her final stroke, touching the wall too late. Despite this, Kim expressed her determination, stating that in training, she has clocked a time of 28.50 seconds and feels capable of competing against world-class swimmers during the initial 50 meters of the race.