Swimmer Hwang Sun-woo places fourth in the men's 200-meter freestyle event at the World Aquatics Championships
Hwang Sun-woo Falls Short of Fourth Consecutive Podium in 200m Freestyle at World Aquatics Championships
Hwang Sun-woo, the South Korean swimming sensation, competed in the men's 200-meter freestyle at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Despite his consistent performances in this event in recent years, Hwang missed out on a podium finish in the final.
Hwang started off strong in the semifinals, recording a time of 1:44.84, placing second among the 16 finalists. In the final, however, he finished fourth with a time of 1:44.72, narrowly missing the podium by 0.18 seconds. His personal best Korean record for the event is 1:44.40, set at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
Tatsuya Murasa, an 18-year-old from Japan, won the bronze medal in the men's 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:44.54. David Popovici of Romania won the gold with a time of 1:43.53, while Luke Hobson of the United States took the silver with a time of 1:43.84.
Hwang's streak of winning an individual medal at three consecutive world championships ended in Singapore. Last year, he won the silver medal in the same event, and in 2023, he won the bronze. In 2024, Hwang defended his world title in the 200m freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest.
Hwang was seeking personal redemption in Singapore, as he missed out on the 200m freestyle final at the Paris Olympics last summer. Despite his disappointment, Hwang showed resilience and focus by shifting his attention to the team relay events. He will join Kim Woo-min, Lee Ho-joon, and Kim Young-beom in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay on Friday.
Key Points Summary
| Event | Result | Time | Notes | |------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 2022 World Aquatics Championships (Budapest) | Silver medal | Not specified | One of his three consecutive world championship medals | | 2023 World Aquatics Championships (Fukuoka) | Bronze medal | Not specified | Continued podium streak | | 2024 World Aquatics Championships (Doha) | Gold medal | Not specified | Defending champion heading into 2025 | | 2025 World Aquatics Championships (Singapore) Semifinal | 2nd place | 1:44.84 | Strong semifinals time | | 2025 World Aquatics Championships (Singapore) Final | 4th place | 1:44.72 | Missed podium by 0.18 seconds; Korean record 1:44.40 | | Korean Record (200m freestyle) | Best time | 1:44.40 | Set at 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games | | Future plans | Focus on 800m relay team | N/A | Aim for 4th consecutive podium in relay event (Aug 1, 2025) |
Despite Hwang Sun-woo's strong performance in the semifinals of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, his streak of podium finishes in the men's 200-meter freestyle came to an end, as he finished fourth in the final.
Hwang's aim for personal redemption in the individual events at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore was thwarted, but he will look to join his teammates in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay on Friday, vying for a Podium finish in the relay event.
