(LEAD) (Asiad) Kim Jun-woo shares silver medal in men's 800m freestyle swimming

TOKYO — At the Asian Games, South Korean swimmer Kim Jun-woo secured a joint silver medal in the men's 800-meter freestyle swimming for his inaugural individual championship. Kim and his Japanese competitor Kaito Tabuchi both completed the race in 7:43.86, sharing first place by a single-thousandth of a second. The Chinese swimmer Zhang Zhanshuo claimed the gold title with a remarkable Asian Games record time of 7:42.49.

Prior to this event, Kim contributed to South Korea's bronze medal victory in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay.

The 19-year-old swimmer expressed his satisfaction with his performance, stating that he had focused on his personal best rather than his ranking. "It would have been nice to finish higher, but I am pleased with my time here," Kim shared. However, Kim Woo-min, who previously won the gold medal in 2023 with a time of 7:46.03, was unable to compete due to a shoulder injury. Consequently, Kim Jun-woo became the second consecutive South Korean athlete to claim a medal in this specific race.