"The Final 50 Meters Pushed Japan Aside": Korean 4x100m Relay Team Takes a Thrilling Silver with a Dramatic Finish [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] The water at the Tokyo Aquatics Center seemed to boil. In a breathless Korea-China-Japan showdown, one of the final podium spots ultimately belonged to the Taegeuk Warriors. The Korean men's swimming team tore past longtime rivals Japan in the final 50 meters, writing an unscripted drama and earning a valuable silver medal.
The Korean men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay team, composed of Hwang Sun-woo, Kim Ji-hun, Yang Jae-hoon and Kim Young-beom, finished second in 3:11.69 in the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at the Tokyo Aquatics Center in Japan on the 24th.
The final was a fierce clash between Korea, China and Japan, with national pride on the line. Lead-off swimmer Hwang Sun-woo seized the initiative with a commanding 47.50-second split, finishing first overall and giving Korea a flying start. Kim Ji-hun, swimming the second leg, also delivered an explosive 47.70-second split. Korea reached a cumulative time of 1:35.20 and remained tied for the lead with China, widely regarded as Asia's strongest team, taking the tension to its peak.
The trouble came during the third leg. Yang Jae-hoon fought through the water and posted a 49.65-second split, but China's fierce push to 2:23.85 and Japan's home-pool surge to 2:24.16 edged Korea back. The team dropped to third with a cumulative time of 2:24.85.

Kim Young-beom, Korea's anchor, carried the fate of the medal color on his shoulders. At the 350-meter mark, he was still in third place, 0.45 seconds behind Japan's anchor, Mitsunaga Shun, and Korea appeared likely to miss out on the gold or silver. Then came the final 50 meters, when Kim unleashed a terrifying underwater surge. Squeezing every ounce of energy from his body, he cut through the water and rapidly closed in on Mitsunaga. Just before the finish, he produced an unbelievable comeback, pushing Japan, which finished in 3:11.96, into third place and securing a dramatic silver medal.
China won the gold after fielding Pan Zhanle, the world-record holder in the men's 100-meter freestyle, as its anchor. China finished in 3:10.60, lowering the Asian record of 3:10.88 that it had set at the Hangzhou Asian Games by another 0.28 seconds. China's monster young star Zhang Zhanshuo was particularly impressive, winning six gold medals at these Games alone, including the 4x100-meter relay title.
Although China claimed the top step of the podium, the determination of Korea's swimming "golden generation" was more than enough to heat up the Nagoya night. On Japanese soil, they held off Japan's pursuit and proudly touched the silver finish pad.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter