Sunwoo Hwang Smashes Korean Record in 200 Individual Medley; Teen Adds Depth to Arsenal
South Korean teenager Sunwoo Hwang, who threatened the podium in a pair of freestyle events at last summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, has demonstrated his talent extends to multiple strokes. According to the Yonhap News Agency, the 18-year-old set a national record in the 200-meter individual medley during Tuesday’s action at the National Sports Festival.
Hwang produced a time of 1:58.04 in the shorter medley, an effort that easily bettered the former Korean standard of 2:00.31, held by Tae-Hwan Park. Hwang destroyed his previous personal best, which stood at 2:00.77. At the Tokyo Games, it took 1:58.15 to qualify for the semifinals of the 200 medley, which was eventually won by China’s Wang Shun in 1:55.00.
While his performance in the medley is a positive development and the latest evidence of Hwang’s skill set, the teenager remains more of a global force in the 100 and 200 freestyle events. In Tokyo, he was fifth in the 100 free, with a best time of 47.56 in the semifinals, and finished seventh in the 200 freestyle. In the longer event, Hwang clocked 1:44.62 during the prelims.
Hwang is one of three male teenagers who have made significant noise on the international scene, joining Romania’s David Popovici and South Africa’s Matthew Sates.