Park Tae-hwan
Encyclopedia
Park Tae-hwan is a South Korea
n swimmer. He is a member of the South Korean national swimming team, based in Taereung
, Seoul
. He won a gold medal in the 400 meter freestyle and a silver in the 200 meter freestyle events at the 2008 Summer Olympics
. He is the first Asian swimmer to win a gold medal in Men's 400 metre freestyle event, and the first Korean to win a medal in swimming.
in February 2008, and enrolled at Dankook University
, where he is majoring in physical education.
His father is a saxophone player and his mother is a dancer. He currently serves as a goodwill ambassador for 'Dynamic Korea', South Korea's international image-making campaign, alongside international figure skater Kim Yu-Na. Park Tae-hwan is one of Asia's top Men's Freestyle swimmers. He was voted Most Valuable Player at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar where he won seven medals including three gold. The 19-year-old trains in Melbourne and is also a Pan Pacific Champion. He was voted Swimming World's Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year in 2006.
. He began his competitive swimming career at the age of 7, earning several medals in junior competitions. This early success led to Park's selection to the Korean Swimming Federation as a national team member in 2003. At the 2004 Summer Olympics
, however, Park was disqualified for a false start in the preliminary heat of the men's 400m freestyle competition. However, shortly thereafter at the 2004 Fina Swimming World Cup, Park was the runner-up in the men's 400 meter freestyle event.
Park continued his competitive success in subsequent years, most notably at the 2006 Asian Games
in Doha, where he won three golds, one silver and three bronze medals, the most medals won by a single athlete at the Games. He also set two Asian Records. For his success, Park was named an Athlete of the Games.
At the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
in Victoria, Canada, Park won two gold medals (in the 1500 meter freestyle and the 400 meter freestyle) and one silver medal (200 m freestyle).
Park was named the 2006 Pacific Rim Male Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World Magazine
, beating out Olympic medalist (and 2005 awardee) Australian Grant Hackett
for the honor.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics
, Park won a gold medal in the 400 meter freestyle event and a silver medal in the 200 meter freestyle event. In swimming 1:44.85 in the 200m freestyle final, Park joined Michael Phelps
, Ian Thorpe
, and Pieter van den Hoogenband
as the only men to have ever swum under 1:45 in the event.
Much of the press coverage surrounding Park's successes emphasize the fact that these are the first Olympic medals in swimming for South Korea.
in the men's 400m freestyle at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships
in Melbourne, Park decided to train alone in Sydney, Australia as his own '500-day project', parting with his personal managing team in December 2007. He then joined the Korean national team training base in February 2008 to prepare for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Under Park's personal coach Roh Min-sang and other members of the coaching staff, the national team trained in Malaysia (February 2008) and Guam (May 2008) to prepare Park for his second attempt at the Olympics. He qualified for competition in the men's 200 meter, 400 meter and 1500 meter freestyle events.
in Victoria, Canada, Park won two gold medals (in the 1500 meter freestyle and the 400 meter freestyle) and one silver medal (200 m freestyle).
, Park won a gold medal in the 400 meter freestyle event and a silver medal in the 200 meter freestyle event. In swimming 1:44.85 in the 200m freestyle final, Park joined Michael Phelps
, Ian Thorpe
, and Pieter van den Hoogenband
as the only men to have ever swum under 1:45 in the event.
At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships
, Park surprised many after failing to qualify to swim in the finals of the 200 and 400 m freestyle. Some blame Park's poor performance on his decision to wear Speedo
's LZR Racer
in the championships.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n swimmer. He is a member of the South Korean national swimming team, based in Taereung
Nowon-gu
Nowon-gu is a residential district of Seoul, South Korea, Located in the northeastern part of the metropolitan city. It has the highest population density in Seoul, with 619,509 people living in the area of 35.44 km²....
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. He won a gold medal in the 400 meter freestyle and a silver in the 200 meter freestyle events at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. He is the first Asian swimmer to win a gold medal in Men's 400 metre freestyle event, and the first Korean to win a medal in swimming.
Personal life
Born in Seoul in 1989, Park graduated from Kyunggi High SchoolKyunggi High School
Kyunggi High School is the oldest modern secondary school in Korea, and has educated many leaders of South Korean society. Before the abolition of high-school entrance exams, it was the highest-ranked school in the country. It is located in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, today one of South Korea's most...
in February 2008, and enrolled at Dankook University
Dankook University
Dankook University is a private university in South Korea. Dankook University has been constantly recognized as one of top universities in Asia ranked 148th in Asia by QS Asian Universities Ranking in 2010...
, where he is majoring in physical education.
His father is a saxophone player and his mother is a dancer. He currently serves as a goodwill ambassador for 'Dynamic Korea', South Korea's international image-making campaign, alongside international figure skater Kim Yu-Na. Park Tae-hwan is one of Asia's top Men's Freestyle swimmers. He was voted Most Valuable Player at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar where he won seven medals including three gold. The 19-year-old trains in Melbourne and is also a Pan Pacific Champion. He was voted Swimming World's Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year in 2006.
Career
Park began swimming at the age of 5 when his doctor suggested it would be good for his asthmaAsthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
. He began his competitive swimming career at the age of 7, earning several medals in junior competitions. This early success led to Park's selection to the Korean Swimming Federation as a national team member in 2003. At the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, however, Park was disqualified for a false start in the preliminary heat of the men's 400m freestyle competition. However, shortly thereafter at the 2004 Fina Swimming World Cup, Park was the runner-up in the men's 400 meter freestyle event.
2006 Asian Games
| Event | Results | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Men's 100m Freestyle | Silver Medal | 50.02 |
| Men's 200m Freestyle | Gold Medal | 1:47.12 (AS) |
| Men's 400m Freestyle | Gold Medal | 3:48.44 |
| Men's 1500m Freestyle | Gold Medal | 14:55.03 (AS) |
| Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay | Bronze Medal | 3:22.16 |
| Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay | Bronze Medal | 7:23.61 |
| Men's 4x100m Medley Relay | Bronze Medal | 3:41.33 |
Park continued his competitive success in subsequent years, most notably at the 2006 Asian Games
2006 Asian Games
The 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia's Olympic-style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar from December 1 to December 15, 2006. Doha was the first city in its region and only the second in West Asia to host the games...
in Doha, where he won three golds, one silver and three bronze medals, the most medals won by a single athlete at the Games. He also set two Asian Records. For his success, Park was named an Athlete of the Games.
At the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
The tenth edition of the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, a long course event, was held in 2006 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, from August 17–20. Six world records were tallied compared to one from the 2002 edition. This edition was slower than it would have been because of the...
in Victoria, Canada, Park won two gold medals (in the 1500 meter freestyle and the 400 meter freestyle) and one silver medal (200 m freestyle).
Park was named the 2006 Pacific Rim Male Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World Magazine
Swimming World magazine
Swimming World Magazine is an American-based monthly swimming magazine, that was first published in a magazine format as Junior Swimmer in January of 1960...
, beating out Olympic medalist (and 2005 awardee) Australian Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett OAM is an Australian former swimmer most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This achievement has led him to be regarded as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history...
for the honor.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, Park won a gold medal in the 400 meter freestyle event and a silver medal in the 200 meter freestyle event. In swimming 1:44.85 in the 200m freestyle final, Park joined Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...
, Ian Thorpe
Ian Thorpe
Ian James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most...
, and Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter Cornelis Ruud Martijn van den Hoogenband is a Dutch former swimmer and a triple Olympic champion.-Personal life:...
as the only men to have ever swum under 1:45 in the event.
Much of the press coverage surrounding Park's successes emphasize the fact that these are the first Olympic medals in swimming for South Korea.
Beijing Bid
Just after a stunning victory against idol Grant HackettGrant Hackett
Grant Hackett OAM is an Australian former swimmer most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This achievement has led him to be regarded as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history...
in the men's 400m freestyle at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships
2007 World Aquatics Championships
The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...
in Melbourne, Park decided to train alone in Sydney, Australia as his own '500-day project', parting with his personal managing team in December 2007. He then joined the Korean national team training base in February 2008 to prepare for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Under Park's personal coach Roh Min-sang and other members of the coaching staff, the national team trained in Malaysia (February 2008) and Guam (May 2008) to prepare Park for his second attempt at the Olympics. He qualified for competition in the men's 200 meter, 400 meter and 1500 meter freestyle events.
2006 Pan Pacific Championships
At the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
The tenth edition of the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, a long course event, was held in 2006 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, from August 17–20. Six world records were tallied compared to one from the 2002 edition. This edition was slower than it would have been because of the...
in Victoria, Canada, Park won two gold medals (in the 1500 meter freestyle and the 400 meter freestyle) and one silver medal (200 m freestyle).
2008 Summer Olympics
At the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, Park won a gold medal in the 400 meter freestyle event and a silver medal in the 200 meter freestyle event. In swimming 1:44.85 in the 200m freestyle final, Park joined Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...
, Ian Thorpe
Ian Thorpe
Ian James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most...
, and Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter Cornelis Ruud Martijn van den Hoogenband is a Dutch former swimmer and a triple Olympic champion.-Personal life:...
as the only men to have ever swum under 1:45 in the event.
2009 World Championships
| Date (in Rome) | Event | Results | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 26 | 400 m freestyle | 12th place | 3:46.04 |
| July 28 | 200 m freestyle | 13th place | 1:46.68 |
| August 1 | 1500 m freestyle | 9th place | 15:00.87 |
At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships
2009 World Aquatics Championships
The 2009 World Aquatics Championships or the XIII FINA World Championships were celebrated in Rome, Italy in 2009 from July 17 to August 2. The 2009 Championships featured competition in all 5 aquatics disciplines: diving, swimming, open water swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo.Rome won...
, Park surprised many after failing to qualify to swim in the finals of the 200 and 400 m freestyle. Some blame Park's poor performance on his decision to wear Speedo
Speedo
Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...
's LZR Racer
LZR Racer
The LZR Racer Suit is a line of high-end swimsuits manufactured by Speedo using a high-technology swimwear fabric composed of woven elastane-nylon and polyurethane. The line was launched on 13 February 2008...
in the championships.
Personal bests
- 100m 48.70 (2010) 2010 Asian GamesSwimming at the 2010 Asian GamesSwimming at the 2010 Asian Games was held at the Aoti Aquatics Centre in Guangzhou, China from November 13 to 18, 2010. This Aquatics discipline had 38 long course events: 19 for males and 19 for females.-Participating countries:...
Final; won the gold medalGold medalA gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture... - 200m 1:44.80 (2010) Asian Record 2010 Asian GamesSwimming at the 2010 Asian GamesSwimming at the 2010 Asian Games was held at the Aoti Aquatics Centre in Guangzhou, China from November 13 to 18, 2010. This Aquatics discipline had 38 long course events: 19 for males and 19 for females.-Participating countries:...
Final; won the gold medalGold medalA gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture... - 400m 3:41.53 (2010) 2010 Asian GamesSwimming at the 2010 Asian GamesSwimming at the 2010 Asian Games was held at the Aoti Aquatics Centre in Guangzhou, China from November 13 to 18, 2010. This Aquatics discipline had 38 long course events: 19 for males and 19 for females.-Participating countries:...
Final; won the gold medalGold medalA gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture... - 1500m 14:55.03 (2006) 2006 Asian GamesSwimming at the 2006 Asian GamesThe Swimming competition at the 2006 Asian Games took place December 2–9 at the Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha, Qatar. It featured 38 events , all conducted in a long course pool.-Participating countries:...
Final; won the gold medal