Hwang Sun-woo finishes 5th in 100m freestyle at swimming worlds

SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korean swimming star Hwang Sun-woo has missed the podium in the men's 100-meter freestyle at the world championships in Qatar.

Hwang finished fifth in the 100m freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships at the Aspire Dome in Doha on Thursday (local time), with a time of 47.93 seconds.

Hwang was looking to pick up his second medal in Doha after claiming gold in the 200m freestyle on Tuesday.

Hwang was the first South Korean man to race in a 100m freestyle final at a world championship. A medal there would have been Hwang's fourth career world championship medal, which would have broken a tie with Park Tae-hwan for the most by a South Korean swimmer. Park won the men's 400m freestyle titles in 2007 and 2011, and a bronze medal in the 200m freestyle in 2007.

Hwang will have one more opportunity to set the record later this week in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay. The heats will be 4:49 p.m. Friday, followed by the final at 2:33 a.m. Saturday, both in South Korea time.

Hwang was the third-fastest qualifier for the 100m final, after clocking 47.93 seconds in the semifinals. He matched that mark in the final but finished 0.15 second back of the bronze medalist, Nandor Nemeth of Hungary.

Pan Zhanle of China, the current world record holder with 46.80 seconds, grabbed the gold medal in 47.53 seconds. Alessandro Miressi of Italy finished 0.19 second back for silver.

Hwang and Wang Haoyu of China were tied for the fastest reaction time at 0.60 second, but Hwang touched the 50m point last in 23.04 seconds.

Hwang came home in 24.89 seconds, the fastest final 50m split, but it still wasn't enough to make up for the early deficit.

Matthew Richards of Britain ranked between Nemeth and Hwang with 47.82 seconds.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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