Ji Yu Chan, a 22-year-old swimmer from Daegu Metropolitan City Hall in Korea, won the men’s 50m freestyle at the Swimming World Cup, setting a new Asian record.
Ji Yu Chan set a new Asian record of 20.80 seconds in the men’s 50m freestyle final on Thursday at the Munhak Park Tae Hwan Swimming Pool in Incheon.
Starting in Lane 4, Ji Yu Chan completed the first 25 meters in 10 seconds, then finished the final 25 meters with an impressive 10.80 seconds.
Earlier in the preliminary rounds, Ji recorded 20.95 seconds, tying the 2019 Asian record set by Matsui Kosuke of Japan.
In the final, Ji Yu Chan improved his time by another 0.15 seconds, making history in front of the home fans.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers held last July, he recorded 22.16 seconds in the 50m freestyle heats but did not advance to the final.
However, the Paris Olympics used a 50m long-course format, whereas the Swimming World Cup uses a 25m short-course format.
The Swimming World Cup is an annual event series held in the latter half of the year. This year’s first leg concluded in Shanghai, China, from October 18 to 20, and events will continue in Incheon and Singapore.
This is the first international competition organized by FINA in Korea since the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju.