Park Tae-hwan sets sight on Guangzhou gold
Park Tae-hwan is eager to make waves again in the Asian Games swimming competition. The South Korean swimming sensation wants to replicate his performance at the 2006 Doha Asiad when he sees action in next month's Guangzhou Asian Games.
"I think I will be all wound up ahead of the Asian Games, but I hope to come home smiling," said Park, who is currently training in Guam.
"I will build on my good performance at (the) Pan Pacific and keep up the work I've been putting in all along.”
Park rose to fame in Doha when he won seven medals, including three golds. The then 15-year-old swimming sensation ruled the men's 200m, 400m and 1500m freestyle events. He also won a silver medal in the 100m freestyle and bronze medals in the 4x100m freestyle,
4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley relays. Park was named as the Games' Most Valuable Player for his feat.
The South Korean maintained his winning form at the 2007 World Championships, topping the 400m freestyle event.
Park then made history at the 2008 Beijing Olympics when he ruled his pet event to become the first South Korean athlete to win an Olympic swimming medal. He added a silver medal in the 200m, finishing behind American great Michael Phelps. Park became one
of the biggest heroes in South Korea following his Olympic feat.
But Park's fortunes drastically changed during last year's world championships. The South Korean failed to reach the finals of his three best events as he quickly turned from hero to zero.
Park has since hired a new coach in a bid to regain his old form. The South Korean showed some improvement when he won a gold medal in the 400m and a silver medal in the 200m in this year's Pan Pacific Championships in the United States.
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