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Quick Facts
- NAME: Park Tae-Hwan
- OCCUPATION: Professional Swimmer
- BIRTH DATE: September 27, 1989 (Age: 23)
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Seoul, Korea, South
- Full Name: Park Tae-Hwan
- ZODIAC SIGN: Libra
Best Known For
South Korean swimming champion Park Tae-Hwan became the first Korean to win a medal in swimming, as well as the first Asian swimmer to win a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle, at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
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Play NowPark Tae-Hwan. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 02:52, May 24, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/park-tae-hwan-20839589.
Park Tae-Hwan. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/park-tae-hwan-20839589 [Accessed 24 May 2013].
"Park Tae-Hwan." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 24 2013, 02:52 http://www.biography.com/people/park-tae-hwan-20839589.
"Park Tae-Hwan," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/park-tae-hwan-20839589 [accessed May 24, 2013].
"Park Tae-Hwan," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/park-tae-hwan-20839589 (accessed May 24, 2013).
Park Tae-Hwan [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 24] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/park-tae-hwan-20839589.
Park Tae-Hwan, http://www.biography.com/people/park-tae-hwan-20839589 (last visited May 24, 2013).
Park Tae-Hwan. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/park-tae-hwan-20839589. Accessed May 24, 2013.
Synopsis
Born on September 27, 1989 in Seoul, South Korea, Olympic swimmer Park Tae-Hwan is the first Korean to win a medal in swimming. He's also the first Asian swimmer to win a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle. In addition to winning gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics, which were held in Beijing, China, he won a silver medal in the 200-meter freestyle. A member of South Korea's swimming team,
Contents
Tae-Hwan has been deemed a significant competitor for American swimmer Michael Phelps.
Early Life
Olympic swimmer Park Tae-Hwan was born on September 27, 1989 in Seoul, South Korea, and began swimming when he was 5 years old to help control his asthma. A couple of years later, he began competing in junior swimming competitions in Korea. Though he made it to the 2004 Summer Olympics, held in Athens, Greece, Tae-Hwan was disqualified for a false start in the men's 400-meter freestyle preliminary heat.
Olympic Comeback
Shrugging off his disappointment about the 2004 Olympic turnout, Tae-Hwan was back at the games in 2008. Competing for South Korea, he won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, China, and a silver medal in the 200-meter freestyle.
Tae-Hwan is the first Korean to win a medal in swimming, as well as the first Asian swimmer to win a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle.
After graduating with a degree in physical education from South Korea's Dankook University in February 2012, at the age of 22, Tae-Hwan began training for the 2012 Summer Olympics. He has been deemed a significant competitor for American swimmer Michael Phelps.
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