Team edges China in thriller to claim nation's ninth gold of the Games

South Korea's men's kayak four team competes in the 500m event. [Reuters]
South Korea's men's kayak four team competes in the 500m event. [Reuters]

South Korea's canoe sprint team claimed the top spot in Asia at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The South Korean crew of Jo Gwang-hui, Kim Hyo-bin, Jang Sang-won and Choi Min-gyu won gold in the men's kayak four 500m final (Final A) on Thursday at the Miyoshi Lake Canoe Course in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, finishing in 1 minute 22.587 seconds. It was South Korea's ninth gold medal of the Games.

South Korea surged ahead from the start. Launching from lane four, the crew covered the first 250 meters in 40.44 seconds — the fastest of any competing nation — to lead from the outset. In the second half, China in lane five closed to within 0.04 seconds over the final 250-meter stretch, setting up a tense finish.

South Korea held its nerve to the end, crossing the line first and edging China — who finished in 1:22.842 — by 0.255 seconds. Japan took bronze with a time of 1:25.909.

The team had already shown strong form in Wednesday's heats. In the second heat at the same venue, South Korea posted a time of 1:25.383 to finish first and advance directly to Final A.

Canoe sprint is a flatwater discipline in which competitors race in a straight line over a set distance, with finishing order determining the result. Crews that place near the top of their preliminary heat advance directly to the medal final, bypassing the semifinals.

The sport is divided into two boat types: kayak, in which athletes sit in a covered vessel and paddle with a double-bladed oar, and canoe, in which athletes kneel on one knee and use a single-bladed paddle.


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