▲ Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Yoo Seung-min (third from right, bottom row) encourages the teqball team.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has decided to manufacture and present custom medals to preliminary swimmers for the South Korean delegation at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games who contributed to podium finishes but missed out on official medals due to competition regulations.
The committee announced today (September 28) that it will separately produce and award medals with the exact same specifications as the actual Asian Games medals to honor the efforts of athletes in sports including swimming who competed in preliminary rounds but were excluded from receiving medals under tournament rules.
The issue regarding the non-distribution of medals to preliminary and substitute athletes came to light belatedly on September 25, when Kim Min-sub, who won a bronze medal in the men's 200m butterfly, stated, "The national team won medals in two relay events, but it was disappointing to hear that this tournament does not award medals to preliminary swimmers."
Kim Min-sub swam hard in the preliminary heats for both the men's 400m freestyle relay, which won a silver medal, and the 800m freestyle relay, which claimed a bronze, but failed to receive a medal simply because he did not race in the finals.
Criticism poured in, pointing out that this was a snapshot of unreasonable cost-cutting and administrative chaos erupting across various venues regardless of sport, as the organizing committee arbitrarily applied a regulation rarely seen in other international competitions.
In addition, the committee decided to encourage national team athletes and coaches who did not win medals by producing and presenting "Asian Games Participation Commemorative Medals," as well as "Coach Medals" matching the color of the athletes' medals for head coaches and assistant coaches of medal-winning events.
Furthermore, the committee plans to select one Most Valuable Player (MVP) from the delegation through a vote by covering media outlets, awarding a cash prize of 30 million won, and present awards for Skill Development, Fighting Spirit, and Leadership through a separate review process, each with a cash prize of 10 million won.
(Photo provided by Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, Yonhap News)
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