(LEAD) (Asiad) Lee Ju-ho grabs silver in men's 200m backstroke swimming

Tokyo — South Korean swimmer Lee Ju-ho claimed silver in the men's 200-meter backstroke swimming event at the Asian Games on Friday, securing his second consecutive medal in the competition. Lee crossed the finish line in 1:56.58 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, finishing 0.16 seconds behind the winner, Kodai Nishiono of Japan. Xu Jiayu of China secured the bronze with a time of 1:56.73.

Lee started the race in second place and maintained that position throughout, passing Nishiono in the final stretch. However, his late surge was not sufficient to overcome the lead of his Japanese opponent. This marked Lee's third medal at the Tokyo Games, following bronze finishes in the 100-meter backstroke and the 4x100-meter medley relay event. Despite falling short of his personal best and national record time of 1:55.34, Lee still boasts nine Asian Games medals, but no gold.

Lee expressed his disappointment with his performance, stating, "I did my best in the final, but I was not happy with my time. I did not come here to win silver. I have been working so hard to grab gold in the 200m, and I felt my best time would be good enough here. I think this silver medal"