South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan cruised into the final of the men's 400-meter freestyle on Tuesday at the Asian Games.
Park finished second in Heat 3 and third overall among eight qualifiers with a time of 3:53.80, while Sun Yang of China, the
2012 Olympic champ in the 400ｍ free, won the heat with the top qualifying time of 3:51.17.
They raced next to each other in the same heat, with Park in the fifth lane and Sun in the fourth lane.
(Yonhap)
Kosuke Hagino of Japan won Heat 2 with 3:52.24 and finished second overall among the finalists. Hagino stunned Sun and Park for the gold in the 200ｍ freestyle on Sunday and has already won three gold medals from the pool.
Park will go for his first gold medal at this Asiad, after winning two bronze medals over the past two days.
The final is slated to start at 8:16 p.m. Tuesday. Park will race in the third lane. Sun will be in the fourth and Hagino in the fifth. The Japanese star could become the first athlete here to win four gold medals.
Park is the two-time reigning Asiad champ and also owns the world's fastest time in the 400ｍ freestyle in 2014 with 3:43.15, set at the Pan Pacific Championships last month.
Hagino has the fourth-best time this year at 3:43.90. Sun's best time for 2014 is 3:45.12, seventh fastest in the world.
Sun is the Asian record holder with a time of 3:40.14, which he set in winning the 2012 Olympic gold medal.
The swimming races at the Asiad are being held at a new arena bearing Park's name, Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatics Center.
After taking the bronze in the 200ｍ free on Sunday, Park admitted to feeling the extra pressure of competing in a pool built in his honor before home fans. He sang the same tune after his heat on Tuesday.
"The 400ｍ is obviously more taxing (than the 200ｍ) but I'd like to have a good race in the final," Park said. "I've been trying to get myself into form, but I think something is weighing heavy on my heart. The important thing is to do my best."
Other South Koreans reached the finals in their respective races on Tuesday. Park Han-byeol qualified for the final in the women's 50ｍ backstroke and Yang Jung-doo made it to the final in the men's 50ｍ freestyle.
Nam Yoo-sun and Kim Seo-yeong are both into the final in the women's 400ｍ individual medley. Choi Kyu-woong will go for a medal in the men's 200ｍ breaststroke, as will An Se-hyeon in the women's
100ｍ butterfly. (Yonhap)
