Hwang Seon-woo of the Gangwon Provincial Office and Lee Ho-jun from the Daegu Metropolitan City Hall showcased their remarkable skills in the Men’s 200m Freestyle semi-final at the 2023 World Aquatic Championships. Held at the prestigious Fukuoka Marine Messe Hall on the afternoon of the 24th, both athletes achieved outstanding results, with Hwang Seon-woo securing 6th place and Lee Ho-jun finishing an impressive 2nd.
In the semi-final, Hwang Seon-woo began the race with a lightning-fast start in lane 1 group 1, maintaining his lead from start to finish. He triumphantly touched the pad first, clocking in at an impressive time of 1:45:07.
Lee Ho-jun, competing in Group 2, exhibited a burst of speed in the final 50m of the race. Although he initially trailed behind defending Romanian champion David Popovic (1:44:70) and US champion Luke Hobson (1:44:87), Lee Ho-jun managed to secure a third-place finish with a time of 1:45:93.
Unsurprisingly, Popovic and Hobson were the only competitors to achieve a sub-1:45 time. Hwang Seon-woo secured a respectable 3rd place overall, with Lee Ho-jun making his mark by finishing 6th, hot on the heels of Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist Tom Dean (1:44.29) from Great Britain and his fellow British teammate Matthew Richards (1:45.93).
However, newcomer Pan Zhanle from the People’s Republic of China, who had an impressive track record this season, tied for 10th place (1:46.05), failing to qualify for the final where only the top seven athletes would compete.
Earlier on the same day, Hwang Seon-woo managed to narrowly advance to the semi-finals with a time of 1:46:69 in the heats, securing the 13th spot out of the top 16 tied competitors. While he fell short of his season best time of 1:44:61, his performance in the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, where he set a personal best of 1:44:47 and won a silver medal, raised expectations for a stellar showing in the semi-final and final events.
True to expectations, Hwang Seon-woo didn’t relinquish his lead in the semi-final and even celebrated his victory by smiling at the camera as soon as he finished the race.
Lee Ho-jun comfortably secured his spot in the semi-finals, finishing in 5th place with a time of 1:46:21.
Fans can anticipate an exhilarating final between Hwang Seon-woo and Lee Ho-jun, scheduled to take place tomorrow (25th) at 8:02pm. This marks Hwang Seon-woo’s quest to become the first Korean athlete to claim the top spot on the podium in 12 years, following in the footsteps of the legendary ‘Original Sea Boy,’ Park Tae-hwan.
Men’s 200m Freestyle: Final Schedule
– Tuesday 25 July 20:02
Hwang Seon-woo (Gangwon Provincial Office) and Lee Ho-jun (Daegu Metropolitan City Hall) competed in the Men’s 200m Freestyle semi-final of the 2023 World Aquatic Championships held at the Fukuoka Marine Messe Hall on the afternoon of the 24th, and achieved the great feat of advancing to 6th and 2nd respectively.
Hwang Seon-woo started with the fastest start among 8 players in lane 1 group 1 in the semi-final, he kept the lead from start to finish, and was the first to hit the touchpad with a time of 1:45:07.
Lee Ho-jun, who was in Group 2, sparked at the last minute with the last 50m remaining, and eventually finished the race third (1:45:93) behind defending Romanian champion David Popovic (1:44:70) and US champion Luke Hobson (1:44:87).
Popovich and Hobson were the only ones to record 1 minute and 44 seconds, followed by Hwang Seon-woo, who settled in the finals in 3rd place overall. Ho-Jun Lee experienced his first career world championship last stint, finishing 6th overall behind Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist Tom Dean (1:44.29) of Great Britain and teammate Matthew Richards (1:45.93) of the British team.
Meanwhile, Pan Zhanle, newcomer from the People’s Republic of China and second in the world in this event this season, tied for 10th (1:46.05), failing to progress to the final where the top seven players competed.
Hwang Seon-woo recorded 1:46:69 in the men’s 200m freestyle heats held on the morning of the same day, narrowly advancing to the semi-finals with the top 16 taking part in a tie for 13th.
Although he fell short of Hwang Seon-woo’s season best time of 1:44:61, he recorded 1:44:47 in the final of the World Championships held in Budapest last year, breaking his personal best and winning the silver medal, so he expected to show a better performance in the semi-final and final.
As if to live up to expectations, the ‘New Marine Boy’ did not relinquish the lead in the semi-final, and even showed their complacency by smiling at the camera as soon as they finished the race.
Lee Ho-joon recorded 1:46:21 in the heats and comfortably confirmed his progress to the semi-finals in 5th place.
The final featuring Hwang Seon-woo and Lee Ho-jun will take place tomorrow (25th) at 8:02pm.
Hwang Seon-woo is aiming for the top of the management podium for the first time in 12 years as a Korean athlete since Park Tae-hwan, the ‘original sea boy’.
Men’s 200m Freestyle: Final Schedule
Tuesday 25 July 20:02
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