First-Ever Gold: 17-Year-Old Pulls Off Dramatic Victory in Skateboarding

South Korean skateboarding national team athlete Kang Jun-i (17, Seoul Yeongdeungpo High School) has won South Korea's first-ever gold medal in skateboarding at the Asian Games, defeating athletes from skateboarding powerhouse Japan.

Kang secured first place with a total score of 180.85 points in the men's street skateboarding final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Aichi Sky Expo Hall in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 27th.

This marks the first time a South Korean athlete, male or female, has won a gold medal in this event since skateboarding was first adopted as an official Asian Games sport at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.

The achievement is all the more meaningful as it was accomplished by overcoming athletes from the host country, Japan, which boasts a dominant global presence in the sport.

Kang's final on this day was a dramatic contest defined by a mix of crisis and recovery.

Starting off on a positive note by scoring 84.83 points in the first run session—where athletes freely navigate courses featuring stairs and rails for 45 seconds—he swallowed his disappointment after scoring only 69.79 points in the second run.

However, he delivered a flawless performance in the subsequent third run, recording a high score of 88.45 points.

In the trick session, which showcases individual high-difficulty skills, the heavy pressure of the big stage also came into play.

Kang attempted his ambitiously prepared, high-difficulty trick—the early back-three heelflip lipslide—but fell consecutively in both the first and second sessions, resulting in scores of 0.00.

Right after the second session, Kang stepped out of the court and shed the tears he had been holding back in the arms of his coach.

Soon after, however, Kang shook off the disappointment and stepped back onto the board.


In the fateful final third session, Kang channeled his absolute concentration to successfully execute the trick to perfection, sealing the victory with an ultra-high score of 92.40 points.


Finishing with a grand total of 180.85 points, Kang comfortably outpaced Japan's Sasaki Toa (172.35 points), who took the silver medal.

The bronze medal went to Japan's Onodera Ginu, who recorded 168.11 points.

Having overcome the pressure that weighed heavily on his young shoulders and ultimately unleashing his focus, Kang overpowered the home-court Japanese athletes to present South Korean skateboarding with its most precious first gold medal.


(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.