Lee Ho-joon was supposed to be “the other South Korean” in the men’s 200-meter freestyle at the world swimming championships in Japan. His countryman, Hwang Sun-woo, as the reigning world silver medalist, was going to get the bulk of attention, relegating Lee to the sidelines.
But Lee, 22, enjoyed his moment in the spotlight Monday in the port city of Fukuoka.
Lee Ho-joon of South Korea checks his time after competing in the semifinals of the men’s 200-meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships at Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A in Fukuoka, Japan, on July 24, 2023. (Yonhap)
Lee advanced to his first career final in the 200m freestyle after finishing sixth in the semifinals at Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A. He will join Hwang, who finished third, in Tuesday’s final.
They are the first pair of South Korean teammates to compete in a world championships final.
“Before our semifinal races, Sun-woo and I promised each other that we will meet in the final. I am so happy that I held up my end of the bargain and honored to have done this for the first time,” Lee said. “I wasn’t even good enough to qualify for individual events at last year’s world championships. I am grateful for the progress I’ve made over the past year.”
Lee said he was fueled by the emergence of Hwang, who made his Olympic debut in 2021 at 18 and won his first world championships medal last year at 19.
“After watching Sun-woo do so well last year, I started thinking I wanted to race in a final in freestyle, just like he did,” Lee said. “That’s been my goal, and I think it’s great that I was able to accomplish that much earlier than I’d expected.”
Lee Ho-joon of South Korea takes a start in the semifinals of the men’s 200-meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships at Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A in Fukuoka, Japan, on July 24, 2023. (Yonhap)
South Korea is far from a hotbed of swimming, with Hwang being one of only two swimmers from the country to have won a world championships medal. Lee said he hoped he and Hwang could inspire a younger generation of swimmers by racing for a medal together.
“Even for swimming powerhouses, it’s not often that you see two swimmers from one country in the final,” Lee said. “And we managed to do such a rare thing here. I hope it sets a good example for swimmers coming up now.”
Lee said he and Hwang have always gotten along well, which should only help their performance Tuesday.
“Since this is our first final together, I can’t really imagine how I will feel tomorrow,” Lee said with a smile. “But we’ve been great friends over the years. We have similar personalities, and I think there will be some positive vibes tomorrow.”
Lee Ho-joon of South Korea competes in the semifinals of the men’s 200-meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships at Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A in Fukuoka, Japan, on July 24, 2023. (Yonhap)
Lee said his primary goal was to improve on his personal best time of 1:45.70. He couldn’t quite get there, as he finished at 1:45.93, but he was determined not to let that bother him much.
“I was able to regroup quickly because I know I have a rare opportunity to compete in the final,” he said. “I now want to post a great time in the final tomorrow.”
Lee Ho-joon of South Korea leaves the pool after competing in the semifinals of the men’s 200-meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships at Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A in Fukuoka, Japan, on July 24, 2023. (Yonhap)
Source: Yonhap News Agency