"3 Hours Until the Finals but Only on the Phone" Swimming National Team Coach Interview 'Hot Topic'

'Underperformance' of Hwang Sun-woo and Kim Woo-jin
Coach Interview Gains Late Attention

Hwang Sun-woo (Gangwon Provincial Office), the flagship of Korean swimming, has been underperforming at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and an interview with the national swimming team coach just before the 2024 Paris Olympics is drawing intense attention.

On the 30th (local time), Hwang Sun-woo, who swam the final leg in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay final at the 2024 Paris Olympics held at La D?fense Arena in Paris, France, lay down beside the pool after finishing the race. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In the video titled ‘Talk Dive Coach Jeon Dong-hyun Part 2,’ released on the YouTube channel ‘THE KOREA SWIMMING’ on the 26th, Jeon Dong-hyun, the coach of the national swimming team who leads the men’s freestyle relay team, appeared. Coach Jeon managed and trained the men’s 800m freestyle relay team, including Hwang Sun-woo (21, Gangwon Provincial Office) and Kim Woo-min (22, Gangwon Provincial Office).

Coach Jeon said that Kim Woo-min and Hwang Sun-woo have a different ‘routine’ when preparing for races compared to other athletes, stating, “These guys basically lie down and look at their phones, then when it’s their (race) time, they stretch and before going in, they say, ‘Coach, I’m off,’ and then they go. That part seems unusual.” He added, “From a coach’s perspective, it’s very frustrating,” and said, “They have to swim the final three hours later, with the whole world focused on whether they will win a medal or not, yet they are looking at their phones.” He expressed frustration that they do not raise their heart rates through stretching or warm-up exercises.

He worried, saying, “When told to sleep, they rest a bit, but if you let them lie down, they play games or throw water bottles. Then you wonder, will these kids really win a medal?” However, he also said, “They say this is how they feel comfortable. I can’t change that in my own way.” He added, “Competitors warm up and do band stretches, but our kids lie down. Yet, seeing them beat competitors, it seems there is no set method.”

The video initially did not attract much attention but suddenly surfaced due to Hwang Sun-woo’s poor performance. On the 29th (local time), at the La D?fense swimming pool in Paris, France, Hwang recorded 1:45.92 in the men’s 200m freestyle semifinals. He placed 9th and failed to advance to the finals. The next day, in the 100m freestyle preliminaries, he ranked 16th with 48.41 seconds. Although he barely made it to the semifinals, he gave up the race and instead prepared for the men’s 800m freestyle relay final. The team, aiming for a bronze medal, finished 6th with a time of 7:07.26. Just a year ago, at the Hangzhou Asian Games, they set a new Korean and Asian record of 7:01.23 while winning the gold medal.

Hwang Sun-woo said, “I trained well and was confident. But this is the result. I don’t understand it either,” adding, “Since the Tokyo Olympics, I have always won medals at the World Championships and Asian Games, so this situation is even more confusing.” He continued, “I deeply felt that I still have a lot to learn. It became an opportunity to reflect on my swimming career,” and said, “After the competition ends and I return to Korea, I will devote myself to swimming even more than now.”