Nam Dong-heon claims dressage individual gold for first time in 12 years
Kang Jun-i wins Korea's first-ever Asian Games skateboarding gold
Kim Su-ji, Kim Na-hyun take diving silver; Shin Jeong-hwi, Kim Yeong-taek win bronze
An Se-young, archery teams all advance to semifinals
A 37-year-old veteran and a 17-year-old high school student both claimed gold medals as South Korea's delegation at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games kept its winning streak alive on the final day of the Chuseok holiday.
Nam Dong-heon won the equestrian dressage individual final at the Tokyo Equestrian Park on Sunday, scoring 75.190 points aboard his horse Leonidas to edge out China's Yu Zai (75.050 points) and take the top spot.
It was South Korea's first Asian Games gold in the dressage individual event since Hwang Yeong-sik won at the 2014 Incheon Games 12 years ago. Nam had already earned a silver in the team event on Friday, making this his second medal of the tournament.
Twenty years Nam's junior, Kang Jun-i of Seoul Yeongdeungpo High School rewrote Korean skateboarding history.
Kang scored 180.85 points in the men's street final at Aichi Sky Expo Hall in Aichi Prefecture to beat Japan's Sasaki Toa (172.35 points) and claim gold.
It was the first time a South Korean athlete had won gold in Asian Games skateboarding. The sport has been an official event since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
South Korea also added medals in diving. Kim Su-ji and Kim Na-hyun scored 254.70 points in the women's synchronized 3-meter springboard to take silver behind China's Chen Yiwen and Chen Jia (328.56 points).
For Kim Na-hyun, it was her second medal of the Games, following the bronze she and Moon Na-yun won in the women's synchronized 10-meter platform on Saturday.
In the men's synchronized 10-meter platform, Shin Jeong-hwi and Kim Yeong-taek scored 375.90 points to finish third behind China and Malaysia, adding another bronze to South Korea's tally.
In badminton, world No. 1 women's singles player An Se-young advanced to the semifinals, routing world No. 5 Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 2-0 (21-8, 21-9) in the quarterfinals. She will face world No. 4 Chen Yufei of China on Monday for a spot in the final.
The world No. 1 men's doubles pair of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho also reached the semifinals, defeating Japan's Nishi Hiroki and Kumagai Kakeru 2-1 (15-21, 21-17, 21-15).
In archery, South Korea secured semifinal berths in all six team events. The recurve men's, women's and mixed team events will determine their medal colors on Oct. 2, while the EMC men's, women's and mixed team events will do so on Wednesday.
Boxing also delivered good news. Kim Min-seong of Korea National Sport University defeated Indonesia's Maikel Roberd Muskita by a 4-1 decision in the men's 80-kilogram category to advance to the semifinals, guaranteeing at least a bronze. Kim will fight Hussein Iashaishi of Jordan on Tuesday afternoon for a place in the final.
Meanwhile, the South Korean women's hockey team beat Malaysia 2-1 to advance to the semifinals as the second-place finisher in their group. The women's sepak takraw doubles team also secured a medal in the event for the first time in 16 years since the 2010 Guangzhou Games, defeating India and Japan in succession.
kwater@heraldcorp.com
