{
  "id": 8840760,
  "title": "Kim Young-beom sets Asian Games record in men's 50m freestyle",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/kim-young-beom-sets-asian-games-record-in-mens-50m-freestyle-8840760",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-21T04:42:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/sports/20260921/kim-young-beom-sets-asian-games-record-in-mens-50m-freestyle"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "TOKYO — Kim Young-beom shattered a three-year-old Asian Games record in the men's 50-meter freestyle swimming event on Monday. The South Korean athlete claimed victory in the heats for the men's shortest freestyle race, clocking a time of 21.71 seconds at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. This performance surpassed the previous record set by fellow South Korean Ji Yu-chan by a mere 0.01 second. Ji, who had claimed the gold medal in the 100m freestyle at the 2023 Asian Games, finished the heats in 22.23 seconds, securing third place overall.\n\nThe event took place at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, which is the primary venue for all swimming competitions during the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Kim's achievement is particularly impressive considering that records are rarely broken during the heats in swimming, as athletes tend to conserve energy for the finals scheduled later in the day.\n\nKim, who had previously won silver in the 100m freestyle on Sunday, expressed his satisfaction with the result. Upon seeing his time displayed on the scoreboard, the 20-year-old remarked that the hard work he had put in clearly paid off. He emphasized the importance of staying focused throughout the race, particularly in the latter half where he had to maintain his momentum without overestimating his performance. Kim acknowledged that breaking records during heats is uncommon, as swimmers typically reserve their best efforts for the finals.",
  "summary": "TOKYO — Kim Young-beom broke a three-year-old Asian Games record in the men's 50-meter freestyle swimming in Tokyo on Monday. Kim won the heats for the men's shortest freestyle race with a time of 21.71 seconds at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, which is hosting all swimming events during the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Kim improved the record held by his compatriot, Ji Yu-chan, by 0.01 second. Ji, who won…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Kim Young-beom sets Asian Games record in men's 50m freestyle",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/kim-young-beom-sets-asian-games-record-in-mens-50m-freestyle",
        "published": "2026-09-21T03:07:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ajel English",
        "title": "Imad Zaben reaches 50m freestyle final at Asian Games",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/imad-zaben-reaches-50m-freestyle-final-at-asian-games",
        "published": "2026-09-21T05:11:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Malaysian esports body offers RM20,000 boost for Asian Games gold",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/malaysian-esports-body-offers-rm20-000-boost-for-asian-games-gold",
        "published": "2026-09-21T05:41:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}