Teen swimming phenom Hwang Sun-woo sees long road ahead before catching idol

 South Korean teen swimming sensation Hwang Sun-woo may have just won his first world championship medal this month, but he doesn’t think he is yet on the same level as the one that many consider the greatest South Korean swimmer ever, Park Tae-hwan.

Hwang held a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday to commemorate his silver medal in the men’s 200m freestyle at the FINA World Championships in Budapest last week.

By winning that silver with a national record time of 1:44.47, Hwang joined Park as the only South Korean swimmers with a medal at world championships.

South Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo speaks at a press conference in Seoul on June 29, 2022, commemorating his silver medal in the men’s 200m freestyle at the FINA World Championships in Budapest. (Yonhap)

When asked if he felt he had surpassed Park as the country’s finest in the pool, Hwang, 19, responded, “Park Tae-hwan made a significant mark in Korean swimming history. It is not appropriate to say I have surpassed him.”

“I’ve idolized him since I was a kid,” Hwang added. “He had great results at major competitions. I will continue to train hard to do well at world championships, the Asian Games and the Olympics.”

Park remains the only South Korean swimmer to have won an Olympic medal. He captured gold in the 400m freestyle and silver in the 200m freestyle in 2008 and collected silver medals in both races in 2012.

At this rate, Hwang seems poised for his own Olympic glory in two years’ time in Paris, but Hwang said he has his work cut out.

Specifically, Hwang said he needs to improve his stamina and endurance. Hwang said he had been running on fumes for the 100m freestyle heats at the worlds, held soon after his 200m final.

“I tend to get really exhausted after each race,” Hwang said. “I haven’t figured things out yet, and I’ll have to keep searching for answers.”

In addition to his two individual races, Hwang competed in four different relays in Budapest.

On a more positive note, Hwang said he was pleased with his improved race management.

At last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Hwang was in the lead after 150m in the 200m freestyle final but ended up in seventh place after overexerting himself early on. In Budapest, Hwang hung around the middle of the pack before making a late charge for silver.

“Back then, I didn’t know any better, and I pushed myself too hard,” Hwang said. “I’ve been able to learn from that experience and pace myself better at the worlds.”

To capture his first Olympic gold in Paris, Hwang will likely have to topple the reigning world champion from Romania, David Popovici. One year younger than Hwang, Popoivici beat the South Korean by 1.26 seconds in the 200m free final and also won the 100m free title to become the first man to pull off that double in 49 years.

“Popovici maintains his form from start to finish,” Hwang said. “He is about one second faster than I am. I have a lot to learn from him.”