South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan said that he will not compete in the 1,500-meter freestyle at this year’s London Olympics.
The Olympic champion told reporters at Incheon International Airport that he plans to focus on the 200-meter and 400-meter races.
The comments come after Park won three golds at the recent New South Wales State Open Championship that included a new South Korean record in the 1,500-meter freestyle.
Korean swimming star Park Tae-hwan (Yonhap News)
He broke the record by coming in at 14:47.38 on Sunday. The previous record was set by a swimmer in 2006 at the Doha Asian Games.
The Australian championship event is recognized by the International Swimming Federation.
“My goal for London is to set a world record in the 400-meter race and a good showing in the 200 meters, so I will concentrate on these two competitions,” he said.
He said the reason why he trained for the 1,500 meters was to build up his endurance, which is important for the 400-meter race.
He won gold in both competitions in the latest Australian championship along with bronze in the 50 meters.
Park was in Australia for training and returned home to attend his graduation from Dankook University. He is scheduled to return to Brisbane later this month so he can complete his Olympic training. (Yonhap News)
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