Twenty-two years ago the Fukuoka World Aquatics Championships kickstarted the remarkable international careers of some now household names in the sport. As the world’s premier aquatics event returns to the Japanese city, World Aquatics catches up with some of the teenage stars competing at these championships who may just become the next batch of Fukuoka breakout stars.
Eduard Kim (17) | Artistic Swimming | Kazakhstan
When Kazakhstan’s Eduard Kim completed his Artistic Swimming Men’s Solo Technical routine on Day Four of the competition, only two more competitors stood between the teenager and the Central Asian country’s first medal in any sport at a World Aquatics Championships.
As Kim stood in the media zone watching Colombia’s Gustavo Sanchez Acero perform, any score under Kim’s 216.00 would mean the seventeen-year-old was guaranteed a spot on the podium.
“All the boys are doing great performances,” Kim told the World Aquatics team in the media zone as he pensively watched his medal chances unfold in real-time.
“It was so difficult to finish the routine, but this is my best event. My Solo Technical is much better than my Solo Free.”
As Sanchez Acero’s routine proceeded without fault, it was at the seventh and final element that it appeared the Colombian could receive a dreaded ‘base mark.’
As his score of 204.86 flashed across the screen complete with that final element basemark, Kim exploded in excitement as either a silver or bronze medal would be returning to Astana for the first time ever at a World Aquatics Championships.
“I did it and I am proud I will make history for my country,” Kim exclaimed before running off to his support staff.
While it would appear that the seventeen-year-old has just burst onto the international scene, Kim has in fact been a consistent performer on the world junior circuit making his debut back in 2019 at the World Youth Artistic Swimming Championships in Slovakia.
It was here that the then 14-year-old announced himself with a gold medal in the Men Solo Figures. A worldwide competition-break throughout 2020 and 2021 meant the teenager could perfect his craft even further, before reemerging on both the junior and senior world circuits with a string of exceptional results.
A silver in the Men’s Solo Technical at the Artistic Swimming World Series held virtually in 2022 kickstarted his exceptional past eighteen months, followed by a bronze in the same event at the Artistic Swimming World Series Super Final in Greece, and dual bronze medals in the Solo Technical & Solo Free at the World Junior Artistic Swimming Championships in Canada.
The medals kept flowing at the start of this year with dual medals again in the Solo Technical (silver) and Solo Free (bronze) at the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup again in Canada, followed by a silver in the Solo Technical at the French World Cup leg leading into a repeat silver in the Solo Technical at the Super Final in Spain.
Despite enjoying such significant individual success, when World Aquatics caught up with Kim again after the Men’s Solo Technical medal ceremony he was quick to credit his entire entourage
“Yes for me it is hard work but it’s also the support of my family, my coaches, and my teammates,” said Kim.
“We all take the bronze medal.”
In Fukuoka Kim competed in the Men Solo Technical, Men Solo Free, Mixed Duet Technical & Mixed Duet Free.