At the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, swimmer Jo Won-sang competed in the men’s 100m backstroke preliminaries in Group 2, but finished in 7th place with a time of 59.92 seconds. Unfortunately, he did not qualify for the final round. This marked his last Paralympic performance, as he had previously won a bronze medal in the 2012 London Paralympic Games. Jo Won-sang expressed disappointment at missing the final and revealed that he had struggled with a back disc issue.
Jo Won-sang, a member of the Suwon Disabled Sports Association, met with reporters after the race, showing visible marks of effort on his body. He expressed his desire for another chance to compete and wished that more Korean athletes in his classification could achieve success. He also mentioned his dissatisfaction with the swimming pool conditions at the Radepans Arena, where the water depth was lower than usual. Despite these challenges, Jo Won-sang remained committed to supporting younger athletes and donating any winnings to the Special Olympics.
In the same event, swimmer Lee In-guk finished 9th in the men’s 100m backstroke preliminaries with a time of 59.15 seconds, missing out on the final round. The Radepans Arena was packed with spectators, including Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Yoo In-chon, who came to cheer on the athletes.
Reported by Kim Yang-hee from Paris, contact: [email protected].