The 2025 KBOAT boat racing king of kings competition, determining the strongest in the first half of the year, will be held on the 18th and 19th as the 25th round. The winner's prize for this king of kings competition is 15 million won, and the total prize money from the 1st to the 6th place is 44 million won, making it the second-largest prize competition after the grand prix boat race held at the end of the year, which will likely lead to a fierce battle for victory.

The selection criteria for the participants in this king of kings competition are the top 12 scorers from the 1st round this year to the 25th round, which was held on the 4th and 5th. The 12 players will compete in two preliminary matches, with six players each on the 18th, and the six players who place 1st to 3rd in each preliminary match will compete in the finals on the 19th in the 15th race.

Since the preliminary match course assignment is based on average scores, it is likely that the top-ranked players will advance to the finals. However, even if a player's average score is sufficient, they lose their participation qualification if they have a pre-start violation within the last six months. In the case of Kim Jong-min (2nd term, A1), he is in this situation; his average score ranking is 7th, but he cannot participate due to a pre-start violation record in the preliminary match of the Speedon Cup on April 16.

If I were to pick the most anticipated aspects of this competition, it would be whether Seo Seon-kyu (4th term, A1) and Joo Eun-seok (5th term, A1), who struggled in the last Speedon Cup, can advance to the finals and succeed in restoring their honor.

Seo Seon-kyu and Joo Eun-seok have been showing their best performances since early this year, competing for 1st and 2nd place. They were also strong contenders for victory in the tournament last April but displayed disappointing performances, finishing 4th and 5th in the preliminary match.

On the 1st of last month, veteran Seo Seon-kyu, who holds the record for achieving his 500th win, did finish as the runner-up in last year's grand prix boat race, but he has not experienced a major tournament victory in over 10 years since winning the grand prix boat race in 2014. Thus, this king of kings competition represents a golden opportunity for him to restore his honor.

Joo Eun-seok is similarly in a state of thirst for victory, as he has not won a major tournament since 2013 and is expected to engage actively in fierce competition. Since the two players are currently in 1st and 2nd place, it is almost certain they will be assigned favorable courses in the preliminary match, making these two players strong candidates for victory in this competition.

Jo Sung-in (12th term, A1), Kim Min-jun (13th term, A1), and Kim Wan-seok (10th term, A1), who can be called the main players of generational change, are also forces that cannot be overlooked. All three players have excellent starting reaction times and outstanding race management skills. Since they have alternately won and finished as runners-up in recent major tournaments, any of these players could emerge victorious.

In particular, Jo Sung-in is aiming for consecutive victories in major tournaments following the tournament in April, and Kim Min-jun, who unfortunately finished as the runner-up, is also significantly improving his starting sense.

Meanwhile, Lee Dong-jun (8th term, A1), who unexpectedly finished 3rd in the tournament in April, Seo Hwi (11th term, B2) with excellent starting sense, and Kim Min-cheon (2nd term, A1), who was the first to win both the king of kings and the grand prix in the boat racing last year, are also strong challengers capable of creating upsets in this king of kings competition.

Boat racing experts noted that "it is somewhat disappointing that it is not easy to expect the emergence of new stars in this king of kings competition and that no female competitors qualified to participate," but they expressed expectations that "as top-tier racers will be competing, there will be thrilling encounters that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats from the start to the finish, including the start, turn marks, and straight course battles."

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