Ha Ji-min 'Legend' Blossoms on Barren Sea…4th Gold Forged Through Experience

While sailing remains an unfamiliar sport to many South Koreans, "South Korea" is considered an insurmountable, towering peak in the Asian sailing world.

At the center of this stands "living legend" Ha Ji-min (37, Haeundae District Office), who has pioneered new chapters in South Korean sailing history for over two decades.

At the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Games, marking his fifth Asian Games appearance, Ha secured his fifth Asian Games medal and his fourth gold.

Ha finished with 9 points to take first place in the men's dinghy final race at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Gamagori Kaiyo Yacht Harbor in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on October 2.

The career Ha has quietly built is, in itself, the history of South Korean sailing.

He achieved a three-peat by sweeping gold medals in the single-handed dinghy Laser event at the 2010 Guangzhou, 2014 Incheon, and 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.

Although he had to settle for a silver medal at the previous 2022 Hangzhou Games amid the misfortune of the final race being canceled due to a lack of wind, he recaptured the top spot at the Nagoya Games, proving his enduring status as Asia's undisputed leader.


This victory carried special significance as it was achieved by overcoming a cliff-edge crisis encountered right from the start.

Early in the competition, Ha was handed a disqualification in the opening race, shouldering a maximum penalty point and starting at the very edge of a precipice.

Having used up his card to discard a single worst score among the nine races right from the beginning, Ha's true value shone through the crisis.

With seasoned poise, he unwaveringly climbed the rankings race by race, ultimately seizing the overall championship.

Along with the monumental record of four career Asian Games gold medals, this victory earned Ha a direct ticket to the main round of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

By bypassing the fierce competition for qualification tickets, he can now map out a long-term training plan under an Olympic system early on.


Sailing is known as a sport with one of the longest competitive lifespans among official Olympic and Asian Games events.

Rather than sheer physical strength or speed, long-standing experience and wisdom in reading natural variables such as wind and currents dictate results.

Having conquered the Asian stage once again, Ha's gaze is now directed toward Los Angeles in 2028.

Ha has competed in five consecutive Summer Olympic Games, spanning from the 2008 Beijing Games to the 2024 Paris Games.

Notably, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he finished 7th overall in the single-handed dinghy Laser event, writing a new chapter by breaking into the top 10 for the first time in South Korean sailing history.

(Photo courtesy of Korea Sailing Federation, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.