Swimmer Park aims to smash record at World Championship

SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's swimming star Park Tae-hwan said Wednesday that he's looking to break his personal best in long distant events at the upcoming world championship competition slated for July in Rome.

"My top priority is to beat my own record in the 1,500-meter freestyle. I will
overcome my slump to yield a good result in the event," the 19-year-old Beijing
Olympics gold medalist said, arriving at Incheon International Airport, west of
Seoul, after a six-week training program in the U.S.
Park failed to advance to the finals in the 1,500-meter competition at both the
Beijing Olympics and the 2007 Melbourne World Championship, while he grabbed
golds in the 400-meter freestyle at both the events.
The teenager has been training in Los Angeles with coach Dave Salo, where he has
been focusing on developing endurance to compete better in longer events ahead of
the Rome world championship.
"I've actually focused on the longer events during the training session. But I'll
do my best to compete well in both short and long distance events," said Park,
who also won silver medal in 200-meter freestyle at Beijing.
Park is the first South Korean to bring his country a gold medal in Olympic
swimming.
Referring to the U.S. swimming hero Michael Phelps's recent drug scandal, Park
said he felt sorry for him and expressed a wish to compete with him at the next
Olympics in London.
"I heard of his scandal in the U.S... But I'll do my best to realize my dream
whether or not he participates in the London Olympics," said Park who competed
with Phelps in the 200-meter event last year.
"Nevertheless, I hope he comes to London so I can compete with the world record
holder."
Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, was suspended
for three months by USA Swimming after a picture of him with a marijuana pipe was
published by a British newspaper last week. He has not yet decided whether he
will compete at the 2012 London Olympics.