Park Tae-hwan eyes second gold in World Championships

SEOUL, July 14 (Ynhap) -- South Korean swimming star Park Tae-hwan will head to
the World Championships in Rome this week, aiming for his second gold medal and a
victory over record-holder Michael Phelps of the United States, his agent said
Tuesday.
"Park will head to Rome on July 17 and participate in three events: the 200m,
400m and 1,500m freestyle," Park's agency, SK Telecom Sports Team, said in a
statement.
Park and Phelps are expected to clash at the 200m event of the championships,
which begin on July 18.
"My goal is to defend my title in the 400m event and set my personal record in
the 1,500m," Park said of the upcoming championships. "I expect an awesome
competition with Phelps."
In the Beijing Summer Olympics, Phelps set the world record in the 200m event,
routing Park, who got silver, by a margin of two seconds. The U.S. star brought
home a record eight gold medals from the games.
Park seized gold in the 400m men's freestyle in Beijing. The South Korean
swimmer failed to advance to the finals in the 1,500m competition in the 2007
World Championship in Melbourne and the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Park has been training in the U.S. with Dave Salo, who has taught a number of
U.S. Olympic medalists.
brk@yna.co.kr
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