'South Korea's Backstroke Star' Lee Ju-ho, Third Consecutive Asian Games Podium... Wins 100m Bronze [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

'South Korea's Backstroke Star' Lee Ju-ho (31, Seogwipo City Hall) secured a valuable bronze medal by reaching the podium for the third consecutive time at the Asian Games.

On the 20th, Lee passed the finish line with a time of 53.94 seconds in the men's 100m backstroke final at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, finishing third among all ten finalists.

The gold medal went to Asia's top swimmer Xu Jiayu (China). Xu clocked 51.98 seconds, breaking his own record of 52.02 set at the Hangzhou Games and achieving a three-peat in the event. The silver medal was claimed by Japan's Hidekazu Takahara, who recorded 53.93 seconds—just 0.01 seconds ahead of Lee Ju-ho.

Yoon Ji-hwan (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Office), who also competed in the final, finished ninth with a time of 55.29 seconds.

Lee advanced to the final as second in his heat and third overall after recording 54.43 seconds in the preliminary heats' Group 3. In the final, he swam in Lane 3 and cut through the water with explosive strokes from the start, closely chasing leader Xu Jiayu. Lee completed the first 50m segment in the mid-25-second range, turning for second place and signaling his entry into medal contention.

Engaging in a fierce sprint battle until the final moments, Lee allowed Takahara to overtake him during the latter part of the race, touching the pad in third place, 1.96 seconds behind the leader.

With this result, Lee achieved the remarkable feat of reaching the podium at three consecutive Asian Games. At the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, he won two bronze medals (men's 100m backstroke and men's 4×100m mixed medley relay), and at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, he earned two silver medals (men's 200m backstroke and men's 4×100m mixed medley relay) and one bronze medal (men's 100m backstroke). At this year's Games, Lee added another bronze in his specialty event, the men's 100m backstroke, bringing his total Asian Games medal count to six. Notably, he has stood on the podium for three consecutive editions of the men's 100m backstroke, upholding South Korea's pride in backstroke swimming.

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*This content was translated by AI.