This file photo from May 16, 2021, shows South Korean swimmer Lee Ju-ho during the Olympic trials in Jeju, Jeju Island. (Yonhap)
South Korean swimmer Lee Ju-ho set a national record in the men's 200m backstroke at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, the second swimming national mark to fall on this day.
Lee finished his heat in 1:56.77 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre to qualify for the semifinals with room to spare. He was fourth overall among the 16 qualifiers.
The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday morning. The top eight from there will reach the final for Friday.
No South Korean swimmer has reached an Olympic final in a backstroke event.
Earlier in the day, freestyler Hwang Sun-woo set a new Korean and Asian record in the 100m freestyle with 47.56 seconds to qualify for the final. (Yonhap)