By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
South Korean swimmer Kim Junwoo, 18, has decided to stay home and train in South Korea after previously committing to the University of Florida for the 2026-2027 season.
Kim spoke highly of the opportunity to train with the Gators, but said that the familiarity of training at home was a big draw for him to stay.
“While the opportunity to train at Florida was incredible, my family and I have decided it‘s best for my career going forward to stay in Korea,” Kim told SwimSwam. “I have already established a dedicated group of coaches and teammates here. I want to be able to focus entirely on my training without the stress of adapting to a new environment and training regiment. I will continue to train alongside my fellow national team members at the Olympic village.
“Additionally, there is an Athletes‘ Village in Korea where all national team athletes live together, and there is a rule that if you do not train at that location, you cannot join the national team.”
There have not been many Korean swimmers who trained in the NCAA, though the first was Kim Bang-Hyun, who swam at the University of Florida and was a three-time Olympian for South Korean. He was a five-time All-American from 1997 to 2000, and swam at the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympic Games.
Kim has represented Korea at several international meets, including the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Swimming Championships, two World Cup stops in 2024, and the 2024 World Short Course Swimming Championships.
He won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships in 2023 in the 1500 free (15:01.94), and had finishes of 29th in the 400 free and 26th in the 800 free at the 2024 World Short Course Championships.
Best Times in Long Course Meters:
200 free – 1:48.23 400 free – 3:50.67 800 free – 7:55.23 1500 free 15:01.94As he has moved into the senior ranks, his best times in the 400 and 1500 free are both from those 2023 World Junior Championships, while his best in the 200 free is more recent – from the 2025 Korean Swimming Championships.
The University of Florida has one of the best distance training groups in the world, led by pros Bobby Finke and Katie Ledecky. The men’s team won both the 500 free (Ahmed Hafnaoui) and 1650 free (Ahmed Jouaudi) at the recent men’s NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.
The loss of the addition of Kim to the roster will be offset, for next season at least, by the addition of U.S. Olympian David Johnston, who is planning to transfer from Texas after a medical redshirt season.
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