Golden Trick Comeback: South Korea Wins First-Ever Skateboarding Gold

[Anchor]

South Korea has secured its first-ever Asian Games gold medal in skateboarding. Kang Jun-i, a 17-year-old who appeared on the SBS show "Prodigy Discovery Unit" seven years ago, made history with a dramatic last-minute comeback.

Reporter Yu Byeongmin has the story from the venue.

[Reporter]

["I am Kang Jun-i, and I want to become the number one skater in the world."]

Kang first made a name for himself as a skateboarding prodigy when he appeared on the SBS program "Prodigy Discovery Unit" in 2019.

[Kang Jun-i / National Skateboard Team Member: "Since there weren't proper places to practice (in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do), every Friday I would take a bus up to Seoul at dawn and take the last bus back down to Yangsan. I kept up that schedule for several years."]

Enduring a grueling schedule and growing steadily over the past seven years, he emerged as a world-class prospect. However, the pressure of his first-ever Asian Games stage was overwhelming for the 17-year-old.

Although he advanced through the "run session"—where skaters perform multiple routines within a set time—in first place, he failed both of his attempts in the "trick session," which is evaluated based on a single high-difficulty trick. Pushed to the brink, he even burst into tears.

[Kang Jun-i / National Skateboard Team Member: "I had prepared so much, and I thought, 'Is it ending like this?' My heart really broke, but I pulled myself together and thought, 'Let's try one more time.'"]

Then came the final, must-success third attempt.

Catching his breath, Kang successfully landed the "nollie 270 heel flip slide" trick that he had failed twice before, pulling off a thrilling comeback.

When the scoreboard flashed the confirmation of his gold medal, Kang called out to his mother in the stands and burst into tears of joy this time.

["Mom!"]

[Kang Jun-i / National Skateboard Team Member: "I believe that I am the best, so I think I just went with that belief. Honestly, it still doesn't feel real, and I feel like I'm floating on air, like it's a dream."]

Having become the first-ever Asian Games gold medalist in South Korean skateboarding history, Kang finally broke into a bright smile, saying it was the ultimate birthday gift.

[Kang Jun-i / National Skateboard Team Member: "I told (my friends) beforehand whether it would be a birthday of laughter or tears, and I'm just glad it looks like I'll be spending a birthday of laughter."]

The hard-working prodigy proved to be strong.

Moving past Asia, Kang now dreams of becoming a champion at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

(Video filming: Kim Se-kyung | Video editing: Park Na-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.