Kim collects 11 golds at Junior Olympics

John Kim had never been interviewed by the media before, but if he builds off his performance at the Southern California Swimming Junior Olympics, he better get used to it.

Kim, who will be a freshman at Corona del Mar High, won 11 gold medals, including six individual first-place finishes, at the big meet in Santa Clarita this past weekend.

“It was good and I was happy,� Kim simply said. “It was exciting.�

Kim also said the success has given him more confidence and it all signifies that he has to back it up. Yes, there is definitely a higher standard.

Kim, competing in the 13-14-year-old division, raced to first place in the 100-meter backstroke, 200 back, 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, 100 individual medley and the 200 IM.

He set personal best times in the 200 IM (2 minuets, 13.79 seconds), 400 IM (4:47.24) and 200 back (2:16.37).

“I’ve just been thinking positive and training hard,� he said.

Kim also was a part of five gold-medal-winning relay teams, including the four-boy group that won the 200 medley relay with the top time in the nation for the age division.

Kim, along with Christopher Long, Garrett Larson and Jared Namba, won the 200 medley relay in 1:56.87 to help the Irvine AquaZots finish second overall as a team at the meet. The Irvine Novaquatics won the JOs.

Larson will also be a freshman at Corona del Mar, while Namba will be an eigth-grader at CdM Intermediate.

Larson contributed to three victorious relay teams and finished second in the 200 breaststroke. He also medaled in two other individual events, with fourth-place finishes in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM. Namba was involed in three winning relays.

Kelsey Larson, who will be a junior at CdM, fnished second in the 800 freestyle (9:39.06) in the girls’ 15-16-year-old division.

Stephanie Gabert, who recently graduated from CdM and will compete for Arizona, won gold as part of three relay teams.

Here are more local swimmers who competed in the SCS Junior Olympics:

Jake Wyatt, 12 years old, CdM seventh grade

100-meter freestyle, 1:09.57, 20th; 200 freestyle relay, 7th; 400 freestyle relay, 6th; 200 medley relay, 6th; 400 medley relay 7th

Liam Karas, 11

200 freestyle relay, 7th; 400 freestyle relay, 6th; 200 medley relay, 6th; 400 medley relay 7th

Christian Garkanni, 12

200 freestyle relay, 7th; 400 freestyle relay, 6th; 200 medley relay, 6th; 400 medley relay, 7th

Justin Hanson, 9

50 freestyle, 31.01, 2nd; 100 freestyle, 1:06. 90, 2nd; 200 freestyle, 2:23.20, 2nd; 50 butterfly, 33.66, 5th; 100 butterfly, 1:13.85, 3rd; 200 individual medley, 2:44.01, 2nd; 200 freestyle relay, 1st; 200 medley relay, 2nd

Timothy Hanson, 8 (competing with 10 and under)

50 freestyle, 32.61, 7th; 100 freestyle, 1:12.25, 11th; 200 freestyle, 2:36.55, 9th; 50 butterfly, 36.74, 12th; 100 butterfly, 1:26.58, 14th; 200 freestyle relay, 1st; 200 medley relay, 7th

Taylor Cortens, 9

200 freestyle, 2:40.34, 11th; 50 backstroke, 38.22, 6th; 100 backstroke, 1:22.40, 8th; 50 breastroke, 44.50, 7th; 100 breastroke, 1:33.07, 6th; 200 individual medley, 3:01.72, 12th; 200 freestyle relay, 7th; 200 medley relay, 2nd

Robert Naruse, 9

100 breastroke, 1:34.29, 9th; 200 freestyle relay, 7th; 200 medley relay, 7th

Ellen Naruse, 11

50 freestyle, 31.49, 25th; 400 freestyle, 5:11.23, 22nd; 50 backstroke, 34.59, 9th; 100 breastroke, 1:31.17, 19th; 200 individual medley, 2:45.37, 18th; 200 freestyle relay, 3rd; 400 freestyle relay, 3rd; 200 medley relay, 4th; 400 medley relay, 4th place

Casey Duckworth, 12

200 freestyle, 2:22.25, 11th; 400 freestyle, 4:52.35, 6th; 100 backstroke, 1:14.27, 12th; 100 butterfly, 1:18.98, 20th; 200 individual medley, 2:39.12, 8th; 200 freestyle relay, 3rd; 400 freestyle relay, 3rd; 200 medley relay, 4th; 400 medley relay, 4th

— Steve Virgen