(Asiad) Injured swimmer pulls out of competition after racing in relay

In a setback for his Olympic aspirations, South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min pulled out of the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay swimming event at the Asian Games on Thursday due to his injured shoulder. Kim, a three-time gold medalist from the 2023 Asian Games, had already revealed to the media that he was grappling with a partially torn labrum and rotator cuff in his left shoulder. The 1,500m freestyle race on Tuesday saw him finish last, raising concerns about his fitness to compete further.

Despite the coaching advice to withdraw from additional events, Kim decided not to listen, driven by his desire to participate in his main event, the 400m freestyle, which would take place the following day. At the relay race's start, Kim clocked a slowest split of 50.01 seconds, followed by his teammates, leading South Korea to easily qualify for the finals.

Kim's withdrawal was announced minutes after his media availability, with the Korea Swimming Federation expressing gratitude for his dedication and promising comprehensive support for his recovery.