TOKYO—The head coach of the national swimming team said Friday he has been buoyed by the progress made by his young athletes at the Asian Games in Japan, saying they can be competitive beyond Asia. Kim Hyo-youl spoke with South Korean media after the conclusion of the morning heats at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, with the finals set for the evening. South Korea came into Friday with one gold, five silver and 11 bronze medals in the pool. The country swept up 22 medals, including six gold medals, at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and will not likely match that total in the Japanese capital. Still, Kim chose to look on the brighter side, noting that some of his youngest athletes all reached the podium. Kim Young-beom, 20, won the men's 50-meter freestyle gold medal as part of his five-medal haul. Park Si-eun, 19, won silver in the women's 200m breaststroke, while another 19-year-old, Kim Jun-woo, won a joint silver medal in the men's 800m freestyle. Kim Seung-won, a 16-year-old high school student, won bronze medals in the women's 50m and 100m backstroke races. "With these swimmers, i