Taiwanese swimmer wins silver medal at U.S. Open Championships

Taipei, Dec. 8 (CNA) Wang Kuan-hung (王冠閎) on Saturday became the first Taiwanese to win a medal at the U.S. Open Swimming Championships when he finished second in the men's 200-meter butterfly competition.

Wang, 17, a student from Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo high school, clocked 1:55.82 in the race, to take the silver medal.

The gold medal was won by American Luca Urlando in a record-breaking time of 1:55.60, while Jonathan Gomez of Columbia took bronze with a time of 1:56.90.

Although Wang failed to break his personal best of 1:55.72, the result was better than expected, said his coach Huang Chih-yung (黃智勇).

The teenager, the first Taiwanese to win a medal at the U.S. Championships, had already qualified for 2020 Tokyo Olympics when he clocked 1:56.48 in the 200m butterfly event at the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in August.

He will now head to Canada to undergo training, then back to the United States, and to Japan or Hong Kong, according to his coach.