As the beginning of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games draws closer, athletes are busy competing for the final entries. One of the athletes drawing the most public attention is Park Tae-hwan, an Olympic medalist in swimming who is also nicknamed the "marine boy.”
Park Tae-hwan returned to Korea last weekend from off-season training in Australia in order to participate in the 2014 MBC National Swimming Competition in the Gimcheon indoor arena of Gyungsangbuk-do from July 16 to 21, which will also determine the final few entries for the 17th Asian Games. It has been 9 months since the October Incheon National Games last year, the last time Park competed nationally.
All eyes are on the two-time Asian Games gold medalist in the 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle as he competes in the challenging individual medley for the first time in the Asian Games. Park won 3 gold medals at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar in the 200m, 400m, and 1,500m freestyle and earned 3 gold medals at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in the 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle. Surprisingly, Park Tae-Hwan registered for not only the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 1,500m freestyle but also the 200m and 400m individual medley at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
Park will get even more attention in Incheon as he continues his fierce rivalry with Chinese swimming star Sun Yang, who was suspended from competition in November last year due to driving without a license but won three gold medals in the 200m, 400m, and 1500m freestyle at the Chinese National Swimming Championships and Asian Games trials in Qingdao in May.
Park said he has been training for about 5 weeks with coach Michael Ball in Brisbane, Australia and had a "pretty good performance" in the Grand Prix Competition. He will go back to Brisbane on July 30 after the final entry in Gimcheon in order to finish training for the Asian Games. He is also planning to participate in the Pan-Pacific Championships in Australia in August.
Another honor awaits Park – the swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming events of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games will be held in a facility named after him, the new Munhak Park Tae-Hwan Aquatics Center.
As a goodwill ambassador of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, Park registered to purchase the official commemorative coins of the Games right after arriving in Korea. He also encouraged people to participate in the event of naming different seats of competition venues in Incheon, including the Munhak Park Tae-Hwan Aquatics Center.
published on July 15, 2014
by the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee
Park Tae-hwan returned to Korea last weekend from off-season training in Australia in order to participate in the 2014 MBC National Swimming Competition in the Gimcheon indoor arena of Gyungsangbuk-do from July 16 to 21, which will also determine the final few entries for the 17th Asian Games. It has been 9 months since the October Incheon National Games last year, the last time Park competed nationally.
All eyes are on the two-time Asian Games gold medalist in the 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle as he competes in the challenging individual medley for the first time in the Asian Games. Park won 3 gold medals at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar in the 200m, 400m, and 1,500m freestyle and earned 3 gold medals at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in the 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle. Surprisingly, Park Tae-Hwan registered for not only the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 1,500m freestyle but also the 200m and 400m individual medley at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
Park Tae-hwan (right) poses for photos with Incheon Asian Games 2014 commemorative coins.
Park will get even more attention in Incheon as he continues his fierce rivalry with Chinese swimming star Sun Yang, who was suspended from competition in November last year due to driving without a license but won three gold medals in the 200m, 400m, and 1500m freestyle at the Chinese National Swimming Championships and Asian Games trials in Qingdao in May.
Park said he has been training for about 5 weeks with coach Michael Ball in Brisbane, Australia and had a "pretty good performance" in the Grand Prix Competition. He will go back to Brisbane on July 30 after the final entry in Gimcheon in order to finish training for the Asian Games. He is also planning to participate in the Pan-Pacific Championships in Australia in August.
Another honor awaits Park – the swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming events of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games will be held in a facility named after him, the new Munhak Park Tae-Hwan Aquatics Center.
As a goodwill ambassador of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, Park registered to purchase the official commemorative coins of the Games right after arriving in Korea. He also encouraged people to participate in the event of naming different seats of competition venues in Incheon, including the Munhak Park Tae-Hwan Aquatics Center.
published on July 15, 2014
by the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee