Kang Jun-i holds up his gold medal at the awards ceremony for the men's street skateboarding event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Sunday. [Yonhap]
Kang Jun-i holds up his gold medal at the awards ceremony for the men's street skateboarding event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Sunday. [Yonhap]

Kang Jun-i has won South Korea's first Asian Games gold medal in skateboarding, and his past appearance on SBS's talent-discovery program as a child prodigy is drawing renewed attention.

Kang claimed the top spot in the men's street skateboarding final Sunday at Aichi Sky Expo in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, posting a total score of 180.85 to beat out competitors from skateboarding powerhouse Japan.

It marks the first time a South Korean athlete has won gold in skateboarding at the Asian Games since the sport was added as an official event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.

News of Kang's gold medal has also revived interest in his childhood television appearance, in which he was introduced as a skateboarding prodigy.

When Kang appeared on the SBS program "Yeongjaebalguldan" — a show dedicated to discovering child prodigies — in 2019, he was already said to have mastered more than 130 skateboarding tricks.

He performed advanced moves that even adult athletes struggle with, leaving professional skaters and experts visibly impressed.

What stood out even more than his technical skill, however, was his perseverance.

Kang fell repeatedly while trying to learn new tricks, but he got back up each time.

When asked at the time whether falling hurt, he replied with a grin: "It hurts. If you hit the same spot again — oh, it really hurts."

Asked why he kept trying despite the pain, he said: "I've fallen so many times now that I feel like I'm about to get it. Isn't that the power of positive thinking?" The response left a lasting impression on viewers.

Seven years later, Kang showed the same resolve in the Asian Games final. He failed on his first two attempts at a difficult trick, but stepped up and tried it again on his third and final run. He landed it, scoring 92.40 points to complete a come-from-behind victory.


min3654@heraldcorp.com