ASIAN GAMES/Taiwan swimmer Wang Kuan-hung bags men's 200m butterfly gold (update)

Tokyo, Sept. 25 (CNA) Taiwanese swimmer Wang Kuan-hung (王冠閎) won the men's 200-meter butterfly gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan on Friday, leading a 10-men final in 1 minute, 55.05 seconds.

Xu Fang (徐放) of China took silver in 1:55.65, while Kim Minseop of South Korea won bronze in 1:55.94.

Wang, who finished eighth in the men's 100-meter butterfly earlier in the Games, showed his medal-winning form in his strongest event, advancing from the heats before securing the gold in the final held at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

The 24-year-old won silver in the same event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, ending a 25-year medal drought for Taiwan's male swimmers.

His latest victory marked his second Asian Games medal.

Speaking to reporters after the final, the Taiwanese swimmer said the victory still felt "unreal" to him.

He said he had been under considerable pressure and was very happy to finally win the gold medal, adding that he had been unable to sleep the night before and on Friday afternoon.

Wang also revealed that he had suffered a sudden back injury several days before the competition. A doctor diagnosed him with acute tendon inflammation, which initially left him, his coach and his physical therapist worried and unsure how to proceed.

Wang said he reminded himself to stay relaxed and give it his all despite the injury, thanking his coach, physical therapist, and supporters for giving him confidence.

The swimmer said his coach told him earlier in the day that he had a good chance of winning in the final, urging him to stay focused and maintain his pace.

"I just focused on my own lane," Wang recalled. He said he swam hard from the start and did not realize he was leading until the 150-meter mark, after which he gave it his all to reach the finish.

As Wang continues to rewrite Taiwan's men's swimming record at the Asian Games, he said he hopes to pass on his experience to younger swimmers and let them know that success is possible if they believe in themselves.

Asked about his next goal, Wang laughed and said he had not thought about it yet.

"Basically, I want to relax for a while," Wang said.