Baek and countryman Cho Jae-hoo were the first South Koreans to compete in open water swimming at the FINA worlds. Baek was eyeing a top-30 finish in the field of 61, but the unfortunate incident cost him precious seconds. He finished in 57:05.30, nearly four minutes behind the champion, Kristof Rasovszky of Hungary.

"I had enough training under the belt, but I didn't have enough competitive experience and I panicked when something unexpected happened," Baek said. "And once I fell back of the pack, it was difficult to make up the ground. My muscles tightened up and my pace all got messed up. I wanted to swim better before Korean fans, and I'll regret this for a long time."

Baek's famous wife, pro volleyball star Bae Yoo-na, was anxiously watching her husband compete. The two tied the knot in April this year, but with Baek preparing for the world championships, they've barely spent time together. They haven't even gone on a honeymoon yet, Bae said.

"I didn't want my husband to miss out on a great competition like this," said Bae, who only found out about the injured nose well after the race. "Because I am an athlete myself, I know how tough it must have been for him. I am so proud of him for finishing this race without giving up." (Yonhap)