[Nagoya AG] South Korea Wins Bronze in Mixed Medley Relay 400m for Third Consecutive Time

Only 0.14 Seconds Behind Japan

Kim Youngbeom Collects Fourth Medal

Kim Seungwon Claims Two Bronzes in One Day

South Korea’s swimming team has secured its third consecutive bronze medal in the mixed medley relay 400m at the Asian Games.

The team, composed of Kim Seungwon (backstroke), Choi Dongyeol (breaststroke), An Sehyun (butterfly), and Kim Youngbeom (freestyle), finished third at the mixed medley relay 400m final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at the Tokyo Aquatics Center in Japan on September 23. South Korea clocked in at 3:44.12, following China (3:40.38) and Japan (3:43.98), and touched the pad in third place.

The 400m mixed medley relay was first introduced as an official event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. Since then, in three consecutive editions, China has claimed the gold medal, Japan has taken silver, and South Korea has won bronze every time.

On the 23rd, after the mixed medley relay 400m final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Tokyo Aquatics Center, Korea's An Sehyeon, Choi Dongyeol, and Kim Seungwon (from left) are checking the results and encouraging their last swimmer, Kim Youngbeom (in the water). Photo by Yonhap News Agency

First swimmer Kim Seungwon handed over the race in fifth place, while second swimmer Choi Dongyeol and third swimmer An Sehyun each passed the baton in fourth place.

The final freestyle swimmer, Kim Youngbeom, delivered an impressive performance in the closing leg. As soon as his leg began, Kim Youngbeom caught up to Kazakhstan and launched a fierce chase after second-place Japan. When third swimmer An Sehyun finished her segment, the gap between South Korea and Japan was nearly seven seconds. However, Kim Youngbeom, the 100m freestyle silver medalist, rapidly narrowed the distance. Ultimately, he touched the pad just 0.14 seconds behind Japan, narrowly missing out on the silver medal.

Kim Seungwon, who had already taken bronze in the women’s 100m backstroke earlier that day, earned two bronze medals in a single day. She also finished third in the women’s 50m backstroke on September 21, bringing her total to three bronze medals at this year’s event.

Kim Youngbeom secured his fourth medal of the tournament. He previously won gold in the 50m freestyle, silver in the 100m freestyle, and bronze in the men’s medley relay 400m, and added another bronze in the mixed medley relay 400m.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.