Woo Chul

Woo Chul (also Woo Cheol, Korean: 우 철; born June 20, 1978 in Seoul) is a retired South Korean swimmer, who specialized in middle-distance freestyle events.[1] He is a two-time Olympian (1996 and 2000), and a double medalist at the Asian Games (1994 and 1998).

Woo Chul
Personal information
Full nameWoo Chul
National team South Korea
Born (1978-06-20) 20 June 1978
Seoul, South Korea
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight66 kg (146 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing South Korea
Asian Games
1994 Hiroshima 4×200 m freestyle
1998 Bangkok 4×200 m freestyle
In this Korean name, the family name is Woo.

Woo started his competitive swimming, as a 16-year-old South Korean teenager, at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan. He helped the South Koreans earn a silver medal in the 4×200 m freestyle relay with a time of 7:33.61.

Woo's Olympic debut came at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He failed to reach the top 16 final in the 400 m freestyle, finishing thirtieth in a time of 4:03.11.[2] He also placed fifteenth as a member of the South Korean team in the 4×200 m freestyle relay (7:45.98).[3]

At the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, Woo added a bronze medal to his collection for the South Korean swimming team in the 4×200 m freestyle relay. He also attempted for his first individual medal in the 400 m freestyle (4:00.66), but missed the podium by 0.22 seconds behind Hong Kong's Mark Kwok.[4]

Woo competed only in two swimming events at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He posted FINA B-standards of 1:53.44 (200 m freestyle) and 3:59.35 (400 m freestyle) from the Dong-A Swimming Tournament in Ulsan.[5][6] On the first day of the Games, Woo placed twenty-seventh in the 400 m freestyle. He held off his rival Kwok by almost half the body length to lead the second heat in a lifetime best of 3:58.31.[7][8] The following day, in the 200 m freestyle, Woo placed twenty-ninth on the morning prelims. Swimming in heat three, he came up short in second place by 0.27 of a second behind 17-year-old Damian Alleyne of Barbados, breaking a South Korean record of 1:53.02.[9][10]

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Woo Chul". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  2. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Men's 400m Freestyle Heat 3" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 39. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  3. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Men's 4×200m Freestyle Relay Heat 3" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 51. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  4. Woollard, Rob (10 December 1998). "Kwok strikes well-deserved Games bronze in freestyle". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  5. "Swimming – Men's 200m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 3)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  6. "Swimming – Men's 400m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 2)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  7. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 400m Freestyle Heat 2" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 133. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  8. Newberry, Paul (16 September 2000). "Thompson anchors U.S. relay win; Thorpe wins 400 free". Canoe.ca. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  9. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 200m Freestyle Heat 3" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 125. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  10. "Dolan breaks own world mark in 400 IM". Canoe.ca. 17 September 2000. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
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