Teen finishes with total score of 180.85, topping all Japanese rivals

First gold for Korea in the discipline across both men's and women's events

Kang Jun-i of South Korea competes in the men's street skateboarding final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Sunday. [Yonhap]
Kang Jun-i of South Korea competes in the men's street skateboarding final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Sunday. [Yonhap]

Kang Jun-i, a 17-year-old prodigy on the South Korean national skateboarding team, claimed the country's first-ever Asian Games gold medal in the discipline on Sunday, defeating athletes from Japan — a dominant force in the sport — on their home turf.

Kang topped the men's street final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, with a total score of 180.85 to take the gold.

It marks the first time a South Korean athlete has won gold in skateboarding at the Asian Games — across both men's and women's events — since the sport was introduced as an official discipline at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.

The achievement carries added weight given that Kang bested all competitors from the host nation, which fields some of the world's top skateboarders.

The final was a dramatic contest of setbacks and comebacks. Kang opened strongly in the Run session — a 45-second freestyle run through a course of stairs and rails — scoring 84.83 on his first attempt, only to fall near the end of his second run and settle for 69.79.

In his third and final run, however, he delivered a flawless performance that even he appeared to find surprising, posting a high score of 88.45.

The pressure of the big stage showed in the Trick session, where competitors perform individual high-difficulty maneuvers.

Kang attempted an early backside 360 heelflip lipslide — a demanding trick he had prepared specifically for the occasion — but fell on both his first and second attempts, scoring 0.00 each time.

On his third and final attempt, he channeled his full concentration and landed the trick cleanly, earning a remarkable 92.40 points to seal the victory.

Kang's total of 180.85 left silver medalist Sasaki Toa of Japan well behind at 172.35, with Onodera Kinue taking bronze at 168.11 — also for Japan.

Overcoming the weight of expectation at a young age, Kang outclassed the Japanese skateboarders on their home court to deliver South Korea's most prized first gold medal in the sport.


greg@heraldcorp.com