The Swimming World Cup in Incheon featured two eye-catching World Record performances by U.S. Olympians Kate Douglas and Regan Smith. Douglas broke a 15-year-old record previously set by Rebecca Soni on December 18, 2009, at the Duel in the Pool in Manchester, UK, posting a World Record in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:14.16, surpassing Soni’s 2:14.57. Her U.S. teammate Regan Smith swam 54.41 in the 100m backstroke, erasing the world mark set just a month earlier by Australia’s Kaylee McKeown at the Australian National Swimming Championships (25m) in Adelaide.

On the final evening, fans witnessed an 800m freestyle race won by China’s Pan Zhanle, who set a new World Cup Record. Pan, who claimed Olympic gold in Paris, broke his own long-course world record in the 100m freestyle. In 2023, Pan became the first swimmer in history to go sub-22 in the 50m freestyle, under 47 seconds in the 100m, and a sub-1:45 in the 200m freestyle, showcasing his range in Incheon.

More than half of the swimmers entered in the Incheon World Cup were from the host nation, with Korea fielding a national team of 25 swimmers along with an impressive 201 club swimmers from across the country.

Korean swimmers advanced to the finals in all but four of the 34 events, with 49 Korean athletes reaching the finals. Remarkably, the second heat of the men’s 200m freestyle featured an all-Korean line-up of club swimmers. Lee Hakjae won the heat with a 1:51.08 but did not advance to the highly competitive final. Club swimmers competed for valuable experience racing against international talent.

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On the first day, Korea’s Ji Yuchan won the men’s 50m freestyle with a time of 20.80, setting a new Asian record. His coach, Mr. Kim Hyoyoul, commented, “Ji Yuchan is really good at speed, so I had high expectations that he would swim faster than the current Asian record. After the Olympics, we had several back-to-back national competitions, so he didn’t get much rest. I hoped he would swim that fast. I wasn’t sure he would win or set the record, but I am really glad he pulled it off.”

Reflecting on his achievement, Ji Yuchan shared, “I was aiming for the Asian Record in the 50m freestyle. I am very satisfied to achieve that result. I am only swimming in sprint freestyle and butterfly events at this World Cup. I hope to improve my time in the 50 fly, and if possible, my goal is to earn a medal in Incheon and Singapore.”

During the three-day competition, 22 new Korean National Records in short-course meters were set.

Another Korean gold medalist, Kim Chaeyun, won the women’s 1500m freestyle. She reflected, “I am happy to win first place. This being my first World Cup event made it more impressive and meaningful. I expected to swim a bit faster, but winning is more important than setting a personal best at the World Cup.”

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Hwang Sunwoo captured silver in the men’s 100m freestyle, saying afterward, “I’m glad I finished in second place. I think I performed well, maybe because of the support from Korean fans. It was difficult to prepare because of back pain, but it disappeared during the race. I’m happy to finish my races in Incheon with a silver medal.”

Kim Junwoo claimed silver in the men’s 800m freestyle on the final day. He shared, “I was in good condition, so I performed well from the start. Pan Zhanle swam as well as I expected he would. Moving from junior to senior level, I’ve learned a lot from other senior swimmers about increasing my focus with each competition. The results in Incheon were enjoyable, thanks to the Korean fans' support.”

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Two bronze medals completed Korea’s tally. Park Sieun, who won bronze in the women’s 200m breaststroke, shared, “I didn’t sleep well last night because I was nervous about tonight’s race. I’m happy with my time, which was better than expected. I didn’t want to cry, but my tears came when I saw the result.” Choi Dongyeoi, who took bronze in the men’s 50m breaststroke, said, “I was disappointed by yesterday’s race, but I’m glad today went well. I think the medal came from a good start and a great turn. I want to race against world-class swimmers more often.”

Among the 201 club swimmers, three finished in fifth place, the highest placements for Korean swimmers outside the national team, including Kim Youngbeom (100m freestyle), Moon Seungwoo (200m fly), and Park Sujin (200m butterfly).

Image Source: Olympians Lee Yooyeon and Leon Marchand share a moment at the Swimming World Cup in Incheon (World Aquatics)

A memorable moment came from French Olympian Leon Marchand, who wore the swim cap of Korean Olympian Lee Yooyeon in the 100m individual medley. Marchand and Lee exchanged swim caps at the Paris Olympics. Marchand commented, “I met a Korean swimmer at the Olympics, and we exchanged caps. He was a really nice guy, so I thought it would be cool to wear his cap tonight.”

Lee Yooyeon shared, “I waited until the end of Leon’s races in Paris to exchange caps. I’m honoured he posted my story on his Instagram. I’m sad I didn’t get to race him in Incheon.”

Coach Kim Hyoyoul highlighted the benefits of hosting the World Cup: “The World Cup event is a fantastic experience for young swimmers in Korea. It’s rare to have such a significant event at home. Since last year’s Asian Games and this year’s Olympics, fan attendance has grown, bringing more excitement and motivation for our athletes. Twenty-two athletes will compete in Singapore to gain more valuable racing experience.”