
Giseong Jo first rose to international prominence at the Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games at home in South Korea, winning gold in the 200m freestyle S4 and a series of other podium finishes.
Less than a year later, when he entered the pool at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain, all eyes were on him.
Inspired to take up Para swimming by the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, Jo went on to win two world titles in 100m and 200m freestyle S4 in Championship record time.
He also took silver in the 50m freestyle.
On his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, Jo proved himself to be the man to beat, claiming three titles and beating established names such as Mexican Paralymic champion Gustavo Sanchez in the 200m freestyle.
Jo will be a concern to Sanchez as he goes for gold at his home World Championships in Mexico City from 30 September, 2017.
Biography
Impairment information
Further personal information
Sport specific information
International debut
General interest
In 2017 he was presented with the Order of Sports Merit Cheongnyong [Blue Dragon] Medal by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the Korea Sports Awards. At the same event, he also won the Overcoming Award. (dtnews24.com, 20 Oct 2017; seoul.co.kr, 13 Oct 2017; Instagram profile, 01 Jan 2021)
In 2017 he received the Outstanding Para Athlete Award at the Coca Cola Sports Awards in the Republic of Korea. (bokjinews.com, 14 Feb 2017)
He received the Best Athlete Award at the 2015 National Para Games in the Republic of Korea. (mews.mk.co.kr, 01 Nov 2015)
He has studied for a postgraduate degree in adapted physical education at the Graduate School of Education at the Korea National Sport University in Seoul, Republic of Korea. (Instagram profile, 17 Nov 2021)
CAREER PLANS
He hopes to become a psychologist after retiring from competitive Para swimming. "I'm thinking of studying for a master's degree in psychology. I want to help people take their anxieties out of their heart. Not to avoid them but to overcome them." (webzine.koreanpc.kr, 01 Aug 2020)
Results
Unit | Date | Rank |
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Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Men's 100 m Freestyle S4 | Intermediate Time | 2015-07-13 | 1 | |
Men's 200 m Freestyle S4 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-13 | 1 | |
Men's 200 m Freestyle S4 | Final 1 | 2015-07-13 | 1 | |
Men's 50 m Freestyle S4 | Heat 2 | 2015-07-14 | 2 | |
Men's 50 m Freestyle S4 | Final 1 | 2015-07-15 | 2 | |
Men's 100 m Freestyle S4 | Final 1 | 2015-07-16 | 1 | |
Men's 100 m Freestyle S4 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-16 | 1 | |
Men's 100 m Breaststroke SB4 | Final 1 | 2015-07-18 | 8 | |
Men's 100 m Breaststroke SB4 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-18 | 8 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Men's 100 m Freestyle S4 | Final Round | 2016-09-08 | 1 | |
Men's 100 m Freestyle S4 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-08 | 1 | |
Men's 200 m Freestyle S4 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-13 | 1 | |
Men's 200 m Freestyle S4 | Final Round | 2016-09-13 | 1 | |
Men's 50 m Freestyle S4 | Final Round | 2016-09-17 | 1 |