Olympic-bound diver Kim Yeong-taek finishes 11th in men's 10m platform at worlds

유지호 / 2023-07-22 20:21:03

diver-worlds

▲ Kim Yeong-taek of South Korea competes in the final of the men's 10-meter platform diving event at the World Aquatics Championships at Fukuoka Prefectural Pool in Fukuoka, Japan, on July 22, 2023. (Yonhap)

diver-worlds

Olympic-bound diver Kim Yeong-taek finishes 11th in men's 10m platform at worlds

By Yoo Jee-ho

FUKUOKA, Japan, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean diver Kim Yeong-taek finished 11th in the men's 10-meter platform at the world championships Saturday, submitting an up-and-down performance in his first appearance in the final.

Kim scored 405.85 points after six dives at the World Aquatics Championships at Fukuoka Prefectural Pool in Fukuoka, Japan. He was the last among the 11 divers who completed their final, with Rikuto Tamai of Japan withdrawing after one attempt.

By reaching the final, Kim also secured a spot in next year's Olympic Games in Paris. Kim finished 15th in the 10m platform at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago.

"I was so happy to qualify for the final yesterday with my mom in the stands," Kim said. "I am glad I got to qualify for the Olympics in front of her. I want to thank all of my coaches and trainers for their help."

Kim had one shining moment in Saturday's final. In his third dive, Kim led all finalists with 97.20 points with a picture-perfect backward 3 1/2 somersault pike. It pushed him from 11th overall to ninth with three dives to go, but Kim wasn't able to match that performance in the rest of the final.

"I was a nervous wreck out there, because it was my first final at the worlds, and I am relieved that the competition is done," Kim told Yonhap News Agency afterward. The 10m platform was the last diving event of these championships.

"I am a bit disappointed as well," Kim added. "After competing with the best of the best, I could see that I have so much work to do."

As for the dive of his life in the third attempt here, Kim said, "I just wanted to go in with confidence, and remember some of the good feelings I had in training."

The 21-year-old will now head to his second straight Olympic Games. Both of his two brothers are also divers, and in Tokyo, Kim competed alongside his older brother, Kim Yeong-nam.

Before the Tokyo Olympics, the two brothers each got a tattoo of the Olympic Rings on their arms. The older Kim didn't make it to the world championships here this time but will still have a chance to join his brother in Paris through the Asian qualification or the 2024 world championships.

(END)