Park Tae-hwan wiped away tears at the end of his long day. A day that nearly ended prematurely and instead concluded with a bittersweet silver medal.

After getting reinstated from a temporary disqualification following morning heats, the South Korean had his Olympic 400-meter freestyle title taken away by Chinese rival Sun Yang.

Park led throughout the first half of the race Saturday and was under world record pace for a long stretch, but Sun pulled ahead in the final 150 meters.

“I swam really well, it was a little bit of a pity that I came second,” Park said through a translator, wiping away tears as he spoke. “There was a lot going on for me this morning but I swam as well as I can, I have no regrets about this morning.”

Sun won in an Olympic record 3 minutes, 40.14 seconds while Park touched in 3:42.06. Peter Vanderkaay of the United States took bronze in 3:44.69.

Park became the first South Korean swimmer to win an Olympic title four years ago in Beijing, and it was a stunning development when he was disqualified for a false start after leading his heat.

South Korea filed a protest, which was rejected, then an appeal to FINA's jury of appeal, which eventually ruled in Park's favor.

The sport's governing body FINA made the decision several hours after the heat, following a video review.

“It has been a long day for me,” said Park, who trains under Australian coach Michael Bohl. “It was very difficult for me in that period between heats and finals. ... I've been waiting for this day and there was a lot going on in this day.”

Park's heat time was 3:46.68 seconds, which qualified him in fourth position. The reversal of the disqualification knocked out Ryan Cochrane of Canada, who had taken the final qualifying position in eighth.

The jury's decisions are final, meaning Canada couldn't appeal.

“I was surprised, because I left the pool thinking he was in,” said Randy Bennett, the head coach of the Canadian team and Cochrane's personal coach. “He took it well and he's already started to get ready for the 1,500, his best event.

“He did what I told him to do and won his heat, but he probably needed to be a little faster,” Bennett added. “You need a little luck in these situations and we were just on the short end of the stick.”

Park was first to touch the wall in his heat and appeared bewildered when told of the disqualification.

FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu could not explain why the judge on the pool deck called for a disqualification.

“It's a very good question,” Marculescu said. “Human error maybe.”

The judge involved, Bill Hogan, was Canadian, but Swimming Canada chief executive Pierre Lafontaine rejected any speculation that national interests triggered the false start call.

“You pick these officials and some are from different countries. Can you imagine the process if you have to start removing the official when there is a heat of a different competitor?” Lafontaine said. “These people are taken because of their quality in what they do, and I'm confident in FINA.”

The pool lanes inside the Aquatic Centre are numbered in reverse order from most pools to please a request from TV broadcasters, and there was also speculation that the order may have confused the judge _ or even that someone else should have been disqualified instead of Park.

“I don't believe so,” Lafontaine said. “It's pretty similar. Everything is pretty clear.”

Park's next event comes Sunday morning with the 200 free heats.

“That's my concern now,” he said. “My coach told me we have to forget about today and focus on the 200 tomorrow. It's not going to be easy, though. This doesn't happen to me every day.” (AP)

<관련 한글 기사>

박태환 "인터뷰 내일 하면 안돼요?" 왈칵

"인터뷰 내일 하면 안 돼요? 죄송해요."


인터뷰가 진행될수록 촉촉해지던 박태환의 눈가가 급기야 빨개지기 시작했다.

2회 연속 올림픽 금메달을 노렸으나 '라이벌' 쑨양(중국)에 1위 자리를 내주고 은메달을 따낸 한국 수영의 간판 박태환(23•SK텔레콤)은 끝내 눈물을 감추지 못했다.

28일 오전(현지시간) 영국 런던의 아쿠아틱스 센터에서 열린 런던올림픽 남자 자유형 400ｍ 예선에서 실격 판정을 당했을 때도 얼굴에 웃음을 잃지 않던 박태환이 었지만 잘 싸우고도 챔피언의 자리에서 내려오게 된 아쉬움에 그는 결국 인터뷰를 중단해야 했다.

이날 오후 같은 장소에서 열린 결선에서 3분42초06의 기록으로 2위를 차지한 박태환은 공동취재구역에서 처음에는 여전히 밝은 표정이었다.

그러나 인터뷰가 이어질수록 아쉬웠던 순간들이 자꾸 머리에 떠오르면서 속으로 삭였던 아쉬움이 결국 눈물로 터져 나왔다.

박태환은 "올림픽 은메달도 값진 결과고 이루기 어려운 것"이라며 "다만 아쉬운 것은 올림픽 2연패를 하지 못했다는 것"이라고 주종목인 자유형 400ｍ를 마친 소감을 밝혔다.

오전에 실격을 받고 다시 판정이 번복되기까지 "계속 숙소에서 기다렸다"는 그는 "오후에 경기가 있는 것도 아니고 없는 것도 아닌 상황이라 답답했다. 그 판정의 영향이 결선에서 나왔다고 말하고 싶지는 않다"고 말했다.

박태환은 "나도 최선을 다했기 때문에 후회는 없다. 또 다른 서양 선수가 우승한 것이 아니라 같은 아시아권 선수인 쑨양이 우승해 축하의 말을 전하고 싶다"며 의연한 모습을 보이기도 했다.

이 정도 인터뷰가 진행됐을 때도 종종 한숨을 크게 내쉬며 하던 말을 멈추고  "네, 그렇습니다"라고 조금씩 분을 삭이던 그는 결선에 대한 복기에 들어가자 점점 아쉬운 마음을 숨기지 못했다.

박태환은 "아직 구간별 기록을 보지 못해 정확한 평가는 하기 어렵다.  300ｍ까지는 괜찮았지만 이후 쑨양이 스피드를 내며 치고 나갔다"며 "쑨양의 스퍼트를 보면 서 나도 쫓아가겠다고 마음먹었지만 결국 졌기 때문에 내가 부족한 것이 아닌가  생 각한다"고 말했다.

그는 "2009년 로마 세계선수권대회에서 바닥까지 내려갔다가 다시 올라온 상황인데 오늘 하루에 이런 많은 일이 벌어져서 좀 힘들었다"고 털어놓더니 자신의 가슴 팍을 두드리며 "아유, 아유, 미치겠네"라고 자책했다.

이때 잠시 눈가를 만지며 눈물을 감추려고 노력하던 그는 "남은 200ｍ도 좋은 경기를 하도록 잘 준비하겠다"고 인터뷰를 마무리하려 했다.

누군가 "혹시 울었느냐"고 묻자 손사래를 치면서 "그냥 답답해서"라던 그는 입으로는 사실과 다른 말을 했지만 눈으로 터져 나오는 눈물까지 감추지는 못했다.

다음 질문이 나올 무렵 그는 인터뷰 내내 참았던 눈물을 왈칵 터뜨리며 "인터뷰 내일 하면 안 돼요? 죄송해요"라며 자신의 짐을 챙겼다. (연합뉴스)