[Asian Games] Today's Match: Kim Woo-min Rematches Chinese Fei Liwei in 800m

Fencing's Gu Bon-gil Challenges Asian Games Record for Most Gold Medals
Gymnastics' Kim Han-sol Aims for Second Consecutive Win · Baduk's Shin Jin-seo Expected to Win Gold

Kim Woo-min, the leading male middle-distance swimmer, is challenging for his second gold medal in the 800m freestyle. He has already won a gold medal in the 800m freestyle relay and a silver medal in the 1500m freestyle.

Following the 1500m, he will face China's Fei Liwei once again.

Based on the preliminary times from the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, last July, Kim Woo-min holds a commanding lead. At that time, Kim recorded a time of 7 minutes 47.69 seconds in heat 2 of the preliminaries, breaking Park Tae-hwan's previous Korean record of 7 minutes 49.93 seconds set at the 2012 London Olympics by a remarkable 2.24 seconds.

Fei Liwei, meanwhile, only managed a time of 7 minutes 56.69 seconds in heat 3 of the preliminaries. However, at the Chinese National Championships last May, he recorded 7 minutes 49.97 seconds, making him a competitor not to be underestimated.

Swimmer Kim Woo-min is checking his second-place result in the men's 1500m freestyle final at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, held on the 26th at the Olympic Sports Center Swimming Pool in Hangzhou, China.
Photo by Yonhap News

Kim Woo-min's record at the Fukuoka World Championships surpasses the 800m gold medal time of China's Sun Yang (7 minutes 48.36 seconds) at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.

If Kim Woo-min wins the gold medal, South Korean swimming will secure its fourth gold medal at this competition. This would tie the record set at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, where Park Tae-hwan led the team to win four golds, three silvers, and six bronzes, marking the highest number of gold medals in Asian Games swimming history.

There are seven gold medals to be decided in swimming. The preliminaries start at 11 a.m., and the finals begin at 8:30 p.m. The 800m freestyle final, in which Kim Woo-min competes, is the last event, starting at 10:16 p.m.

In men's sabre fencing, Gu Bon-gil is challenging for the most individual gold medals ever won by a South Korean athlete at the Asian Games.

Gu Bon-gil will compete in the men's sabre team event. If he wins gold, he will have collected six gold medals in Asian Games history. Gu achieved a three-peat in the men's sabre individual event from the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and has won two consecutive team golds since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

Although he lost to his junior Oh Sang-wook in this tournament and failed to secure a fourth consecutive individual title, he aims for a third consecutive team gold.

With six gold medals, he would join the ranks of South Korea's all-time top Asian Games gold medalists alongside Park Tae-hwan (swimming), Nam Hyun-hee (fencing), Seo Jeong-gyun (equestrian), Yang Chang-hoon (archery), and Ryu Seo-yeon (bowling).

Oh Sang-wook, who competed against Gu Bon-gil in the individual final but will join forces in the team event, is aiming for two gold medals. He won individual silver and team gold at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.

Alongside the men's sabre team event, the women's foil team event will also take place. The men's sabre team quarterfinals start at 11 a.m., semifinals at 12 p.m., and finals at 7 p.m. The women's foil team quarterfinals begin at 1 p.m., semifinals at 2:30 p.m., and finals at 7:35 p.m.

Fencing athlete Koo Bon-gil (left) is taking a commemorative photo with junior Oh Sang-wook, who won the gold medal, at the medal ceremony for the men's sabre individual event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held on the 25th at the gymnasium of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Hangzhou.
Photo by Yonhap News

Kim Han-sol of men's artistic gymnastics will challenge for his second consecutive title in the floor exercise final held at 3:30 p.m. at the Hangzhou Huanglong Sports Center Gymnasium. Kim qualified for the final as the third highest scorer with 14.433 points in the floor exercise during the team event preliminaries.

Taekwondo will conclude its five-day schedule with the men's over 80kg and women's over 67kg categories. Lee Seon-gi and Lee Da-bin will compete. The round of 16 and quarterfinals start at 10 a.m., followed by semifinals and finals from 3 p.m.

In boxing, the women's 60kg, men's 51kg, and men's 71kg categories will take place. 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games gold medalist Oh Yeon-ji will compete in the women's 60kg event, facing North Korea's Won Woon-kyung at 3:45 p.m. If she wins, she will advance to the round of 8 on the 1st of next month.

'Artificial Intelligence' Shin Jin-seo 9-dan is challenging for the gold medal in the men's individual Go event. Shin defeated Taiwan's Lai Chunfu 8-dan in the quarterfinals the previous day to advance to the semifinals. Meanwhile, Park Jeong-hwan 9-dan lost to Taiwan's Hsu Hao-hung 9-dan. The two men's individual Go semifinals start at 10:30 a.m., with the final and bronze medal match scheduled for 4 p.m.

The men's basketball team will play against Qatar in the group stage at 2:30 p.m. The women's soccer team will play their third group stage match in Group E against Hong Kong at the Wenzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium starting at 8:30 p.m.