No one had said it would be easy against Elijah Winnington, who often plays with the world’s top timings in the men’s 400m free swimming event. No one assured him of going against Lukas Maertens, who had the world-leading performance at the same event. But here is Kim Woo-min, who hardly cared about the challenges mentioned and ultimately, gave South Korean swimming the taste of an Olympic medal on Saturday in the 400m free at the Paris Olympics. Yet the outcome is a mixed bag. 

Previously, Kim Woo-Min complained about the shortcomings in the Games Village arrangements and had to relocate to hotel rooms outside, which cost over $200,000. This time, he has gone deeper, taking a direct shot at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the main event. 

Kim Woo-min fumes over the acknowledgment of his performance on the final night 

On Saturday, Kim Woo-min completed his 400m free final race just behind German torpedo Lukas Maertens and Australian fish Elijah Winnington. Automatically, with the 3:42.42 timing, he claimed the Paris Olympics bronze medal. However, the following incident failed to amuse him, as the lack of arrangement remained the major issue. In a conversation with Yonhap News, the 22-year-old said that he had not received the ultimate achievement prize on Saturday. But he wouldn’t be carried away because of this, as he added,  “I think this sense of regret will push me at the next competition. This is not the end.” He looked with a hard chin and firm determination to post a reply about this in the pool. Hopefully, in this ongoing Olympics, the South Korean swimming pro will get his chance. 

As per the released schedule, Kim Woo-min has entered the Paris Olympics with five individual events in his book, including open water swimming. Furthermore, he will compete in the men’s 4x200m free relay final tomorrow, where he will get a chance to settle his score with Lukas Maertens as well. In this journey to make himself a favorite against the authority and big names, Kim had support from someone away from South Korean swimming. 

Despite having his mentees against him in the pool, Australian assistant swimming coach Michael Palfrey had rallied behind Kim Woo-min just before the Saturday race. Having previously guided him, the coach stated that the South Korean had the courage to overcome challenges in water. However, Palfrey had to go under grinding later because of making such an ‘un-Australian’ comment. But the world championship medalist found his boost from those words. That’s the top priority for him now, especially after everything he’s been through at this Olympics. 

The unending suffering of the South Korean swimming athletes at the Paris Olympics 

On July 26, the swimming world took a turn as reports said that six South Korean swimmers had to leave the Paris Olympics Games Village because of several issues. The six swimmers, including Kim Woo-min and his best pal Hwang Sunwoo, complained about the unbearable conditions of the buses because of the taped windows and lack of air conditioning facilities. The team had to cover 12 km every day to reach the arena from their accommodation in the Village by these buses. Therefore, the team had to compromise with the well-being of the swimmers. However, in calling the situation out, the French authorities applied a face-saving approach. 

It argued that sustainability had been the mainstay in arranging such transportation facilities. “We have looked to reduce everything that can be reduced, for Games that emit less carbon and consume fewer resources,” commented the bulletin from the authority. But that failed to add medicine to the cuts as the six members left the facility fuming to take up hotel rooms outside of the Village. But the situation turned out to be another hotbed for them. 

Because of the skyrocketing hotel room charges, the South Korean swimming team members had to pay more than $200,000 from their pockets. The exorbitant charges made them sweat more. Still, they are up for the battle, as Kim Woo-min has already mentioned in his comment: “I am going to get it done in the future”. Let’s keep an eye on that.