Gwangju City Hosts the 1st Gwangju National Swimming Championships

2019 Gwangju World Swimming Championships Legacy Project Launch

16-24 at Nambu University International Swimming Pool... Over 4,000 Participants

Kim Ji-wook and Kwon Ha-rim diving during the mixed 10m platform synchronized final at the 2019 Gwangju World Aquatics Championships.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 11th that it will hold the ‘1st Gwangju National Swimming Championships’ and the ‘1st Gwangju National Masters Swimming Competition’ as legacy projects of the 2019 Gwangju World Swimming Championships.

The event, held from the 16th to the 24th, is co-hosted by Gwangju City and the Korea Swimming Federation.

It will take place at the Nambu University Municipal International Swimming Pool, where the swimming events of the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade and the 2019 Gwangju World Swimming Championships were held.

The National Swimming Championships, featuring elite athletes from the youth division to the general division, will be held for nine days from the 16th to the 24th, while the Masters Swimming Competition for club participants will be held for two days from the 23rd to the 24th.

As of the registration deadline on the 8th, about 2,500 participants are expected for the Championships and about 1,500 for the Masters Competition, totaling approximately 4,000 participants.

The Championships include four events: swimming, diving, water polo, and artistic swimming, while the Masters Competition includes two events: swimming and diving.

Gwangju City established a nationwide swimming competition in 2020 as a legacy project of the 2019 Gwangju World Swimming Championships but was unable to hold it due to COVID-19.

Many members of the Korean national team, who recently showcased their skills at the 2022 World Swimming Championships held in Budapest, Hungary, will participate in this event.

Kim Suji (Ulsan Metropolitan City Hall), who became Korea’s first world swimming championships diving medalist three years ago in Gwangju, will recreate the glory of the 2019 Gwangju World Swimming Championships in her main event, the 1m springboard.

Kim Woo-min (Gangwon Provincial Office), who was the first male swimmer since Park Tae-hwan to reach the finals of the men’s 400m freestyle and finished sixth, will challenge the 200m and 400m individual medley events instead of freestyle.

Lee Eunji (Bangsan High School 1st year), who was the only Korean swimmer to reach the semifinals in all events she entered (women’s backstroke 50m, 100m, 200m) in Budapest, will compete in the 50m backstroke and 200m individual medley.

Detailed schedules of the competition can be found in the detailed guidelines posted on the Korea Swimming Federation website.

Additionally, the athletes’ competition scenes will be broadcast live on YouTube.

Citizens who wish to watch can enjoy the competition from the 2nd and 3rd floor spectator seats of the Nambu University Municipal International Swimming Pool, and admission to the venue is free. According to basic COVID-19 prevention guidelines, masks must be worn at all times indoors.

Kim Junyoung, Director of Culture, Tourism, and Sports of Gwangju City, said, “The Gwangju National Swimming Championships and Masters Swimming Competition will be held annually starting this year as a commemorative project of the 2019 Gwangju World Swimming Championships. This event will be a festival for Gwangju citizens and swimmers celebrating mature civic spirit overcoming COVID-19 and recovering daily life.”

He added, “We will do our best to support the participating athletes to perform at their best at the Nambu University International Municipal Swimming Pool, the best facility nationwide.”