South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan begs for forgiveness and an Olympic berth on international TV

It’s not often you see a world-class athlete with four Olympic medals on his resume drop to his knees and beg on international television.

South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan made his dramatic plea Monday, asking national officials to include him on the team headed for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

“I hope that I am given a chance so that I can deliver a good performance for the people and contribute to the nation,” Park was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Park was caught with excessive testosterone in his system two years ago and was handed an 18-month ban. His penalty ended in March, but South Korea has a tough policy that prohibits sanctioned athletes from competing on the national team for an additional three years.

Appearing at a news conference at the city hall in Incheon, the 26-year-old dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead against the floor.

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Park won gold at the 2008 Beijing Games and recently swam fast enough to qualify in several events for the summer’s team.

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