‘Kim Woo-min’s 400m freestyle competitor’ Half Now withdrew from participating in the Paris Olympics
Hafnaoui gave up participating in the Paris Olympics
Tokyo Olympics swimming men’s 400m freestyle champion Ahmed Hafnaoui (21, Tunisia) will not participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This is news that could increase Kim Woo-min’s (22, Gangwon Provincial Office) chances of winning a medal at the Paris Olympics.
The African Swimming Federation announced on the 8th (Korean time), “Hafnaoui has withdrawn from participating in the Paris Olympics.”
Swimming media outlet Swimswam reported, “Hafnowwi also admitted that going to Paris was impossible.”
The exact reason has not been revealed, but it appears that Hafnaoui’s physical condition is not normal.
Hafnawi is a strong mid- to long-distance men’s freestyle athlete.
He won the men’s 400m freestyle at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 3 minutes 43.36 seconds, and won gold medals in the 800m freestyle (7 minutes 37.00 seconds) and 1,500m freestyle (14 minutes 31.54 seconds) at the 2023 Fukuoka World Championships. In the 400m freestyle, he took second place, setting a new African record of 3 minutes 40.70 seconds.
However, at the 2024 Doha World Championships held in February this year, he was eliminated from the preliminary round with a time of 3 minutes 48.05 seconds, and did not reach the finals in the 800m (7 minutes 51.72 seconds) and 1,500m (15 minutes 09.02 seconds).
Kim Woo-min won the 400m freestyle at the 2024 Doha World Championships by hitting the touch pad in 3 minutes 42.71 seconds.
Kim Woo-min, who is aiming to win a medal at the Paris Olympics in the 400m freestyle, has repeatedly cited Half Now as an opponent he must overcome.
However, as Hafnow decided not to participate in the Paris Olympics, one of Kim Woo-min’s competitors disappeared.
The competition for the men’s 400m freestyle medal at the Paris Olympics is expected to be a four-way match between Lucas Martens (Germany), Elijah Winnington, Samuel Short (Australia), and Kim Woo-min.
This year’s record is Martens’s best at 3 minutes 40.33 seconds, followed by Winnington (3 minutes 41.41 seconds) and Short (3 minutes 41.64 seconds).
Kim Woo-min runs 3 minutes 42.71 seconds, ranking 4th in the men’s 400m freestyle this season. 섯다
