Park Tae-Hwan
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Park•Tae-Hwan |
| Used name | Park•Tae-Hwan |
| Name order | Oriental |
| Original name | 박•태환 |
| Born | 27 September 1989 in Seoul, Seoul (KOR) |
| Measurements | 183 cm / 73 kg |
| Affiliations | Dankook University, Yongin (KOR) |
| NOC |  Republic of Korea |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 1 |
| Silver | 3 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 4 |
Biography
Only the second ever South Korean swimmer to reach an Olympic final (after Nam Yu-Seon), Park Tae-Hwan beame the first to win an Olympic medal, claiming gold in the 400 freestyle, and silver in the 200 freestyle, behind the invincible Michael Phelps. His medals did not come as a complete surprise, as Park had won the world title in the 400 free in 2007 – again as the first Korean ever. He would do so again in 2011, while earning a bronze in the 200 metres in 2007. Also a top performer in regional competitions, Park has won three titles at the Pan Pacific Championships (twice in the 400 free), and six in the Asian Games, earning seven medals total in the 2006 edition, and five in 2010. A popular figure in South Korea, Park Tae-Hwan frequently is the subject of rumors, and he has been linked to Korean pop stars Dana, Sunye as well as figure skater Kim Yeon-A. In 2015 he was banned for 18 months after he tested positive for testosterone in September 2014.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | KOR |
Park Tae-Hwan | |||
| 400 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | ||||||
| 2008 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | KOR |
Park Tae-Hwan | |||
| 200 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 400 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 1,500 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 16 | |||||
| 2012 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | KOR |
Park Tae-Hwan | |||
| 200 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | =2 | Silver | ||||
| 400 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 1,500 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 4 | |||||
| 2016 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | KOR |
Park Tae-Hwan | |||
| 100 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 32 | |||||
| 200 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 29 | |||||
| 400 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 10 | |||||
| 1,500 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships (4–2–0 2006 Victoria gold: 400 m freestyle and 1500 m freestyle, silver: 200 m freestyle; 2010 Irvine gold: 400 m freestyle, silver: 200 m freestyle; 2014 Gold Coast gold: 400 m freestyle)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Aquatics Championships (2–0–1 2007 Melbourne SWI gold: 400 m freestyle, bronze: 200 m freestyle; 2011 Shanghai SWI gold: 400 m freestyle)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Short-Course Swimming Championships (25 m) (3–2–0 2006 Shanghai silver: 400 m freestyle and 1500 m freestyle; 2016 Windsor gold: 200 m freestyle, 400 m freestyle, and 1500 m freestyle)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the Asian Games (6–3–5 2006 Doha SWM gold: 200 m freestyle, 400 m freestyle, and 1500 m freestyle, silver: 100 m freestyle, bronze: 4×100 m freestyle relay, 4×200 m freestyle relay, and 4×100 m medley relay; 2010 Guangzhou SWM gold: 100 m freestyle, 200 m freestyle, and 400 m freestyle, silver: 1500 m freestyle and 4×100 m medley relay, bronze: 4×100 m freestyle relay and 4×200 m freestyle relay)