Medalists in the mixed duet technical event of artistic swimming at the 18th FINA World Aquatics Championships on July 14 pose for photographs at Yeomju Gymnasium in Gwangju. (FINA World Championships Gwangju Organizing Committee)

Medalists in the mixed duet technical event of artistic swimming at the 18th FINA World Aquatics Championships on July 14 pose for photographs at Yeomju Gymnasium in Gwangju. (FINA World Championships Gwangju Organizing Committee)

By Song Baleun and Kim Hwaya 

Day 4 of the 18th FINA World Championships in the southwestern city of Gwangju on July 14 saw its first gold medalist, Kristof Rasovszky of Hungary, who won the men’s 5km open water.

The first double gold medalist of the games was Svetlana Kolesnichenko from Russia, who claimed both the artistic swimming solo and duet technical routine events.

As of July 15, China led the gold medal standings with seven among the ten finals concluded in diving, artistic swimming and open water swimming.

China’s Xin Xin also made history as the first Asian to win an open swimming event in the tournament, specifically the women’s 10km open water swimming. Open water swimming became an official event in the championships in 1991.

Korean diver Kim Su-ji on July 13 competes in the final of the women's 1-meter springboard at the 18th FINA World Aquatics Championships at Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center in Gwangju. She became her country's first to earn a diving medal (bronze) in a world championship. (Yonhap News)

Korean diver Kim Su-ji on July 13 competes in the final of the women’s 1-meter springboard at the 18th FINA World Aquatics Championships at Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center in Gwangju. She became her country’s first to earn a diving medal (bronze) in a world championship. (Yonhap News)

Korea also set a milestone in the tournament. Diver Kim Su-ji on July 13 became the country’s first to earn a diving medal in a world championship by taking the bronze in the women’s 1-meter springboard. She is also only the second Korean to win a medal in a swimming or diving world championship since Park Tae-hwan in 2007 claimed the 400-meter freestyle in Melbourne.

President Moon Jae-in opened the tournament on June 12 with the declaration “I hope this festival of freedom, challenge and friendship will shine brightly.”

brightsong@korea.kr