South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Office) has withdrawn from the men's 800m freestyle event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games due to a shoulder injury. To avoid further injury, he will focus on preparing for the 400m freestyle instead.
The Korea Swimming Federation announced on September 23 that it would inform the tournament organizing committee of Kim's decision to withdraw from the 800m freestyle based on a medical report regarding his shoulder condition. As a result, Kim's attempt to defend his title in the 800m freestyle has been canceled. He won the gold medal in this event at the 2022 Hangzhou Games with a Korean record time of 7:46.03.
Prior to this competition, Kim was diagnosed with partial tears in the supraspinatus and superior labrum of his left shoulder, along with impingement syndrome. Despite this, he chose to compete without disclosing his injury.
On September 21, Kim participated in the men's 800m relay, earning a bronze medal. He also competed in the 1500m freestyle final on September 22, but experienced severe shoulder pain during the race, finishing in eighth place with a time of 15:16.52. He did not participate in the 200m freestyle heats scheduled for September 23.
After the 1500m event, Kim expressed a desire to continue competing, but the coaching staff prioritized his health. Given that the 800m is a middle-distance event that places significant strain on the shoulder, they decided to prevent any additional damage, leading to Kim's withdrawal.
With Kim's exit, only Kim Jun-woo (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Sports Council) will represent South Korea in the 800m freestyle on September 24. Kim Woo-min is currently focusing on his condition in preparation for the 400m freestyle event scheduled for September 25, which is his strongest event on the international stage.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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