Ahead of their showdown for the long-awaited Asian Games gold medal against "powerhouse" China, South Korea's top badminton women's doubles pair Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na (both from Incheon International Airport) had resolved, "Unless we put on a 100-point performance, winning will be difficult."

True to their firm resolve, the two players stayed a step ahead of their opponents in both mental fortitude and a flawless balance of offense and defense, breaking through the Great Wall to unearth the Asian Games gold for the first time in 24 years.

Meeting reporters in the mixed zone after the match, Lee So-hee broke into a wide smile and said, "It feels like we played a 120-point match today."

It was not a remark meant in jest.

World No. 2 Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na claimed the top of the podium after defeating world No. 1 Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning (China) 2-1 (26-28, 21-18, 21-18) in a nail-biting, grueling battle during the women's doubles final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, today (September 29).

Baek Ha-na credited her partner, saying, "It was such a tough match today, but thanks to the unnie (older sister/partner) pushing through until the end, smashing hard, and running extensively, we were able to win."

True to a final match, every single moment was a critical hurdle.

The Liu-Tan pair pressed fiercely with sheer power from the start, while the South Korean pair absorbed the pressure with tenacious defense, drawing opponent errors to close the gap.

After trading multiple deuces in an unpredictable battle that stretched to 26-28, South Korea narrowly dropped the first game and fell into a crisis.

Reflecting on the moment, Lee So-hee said, "I thought it would be advantageous to take the first game in terms of momentum, but since we already dropped it, I figured that quickly taking the second game and dragging it into a long match would work slightly more in our favor."

This judgment paid off.

Even though the South Korean pair fell behind early in the second game, they clung tenaciously to stage a turnaround, leveling the match at 21-18.

The fateful third game, entered with fully depleted physical stamina, was a battle of mental strength.

Lee So-hee shared, "Actually, my hamstrings started cramping up first among the four of us, and I was barely managing to run, but then the Chinese players suffered even worse cramps. I think we endured well."

Indeed, amid the fierce offensive and defensive exchanges, China's Liu Shengshu collapsed while clutching her leg and could not get up, leaving Tan Ning to shoulder the defensive load virtually alone.

The South Korean pair did not miss this opening, pressing aggressively to seal the victory.

Baek Ha-na confessed, "I completely forgot about turning the game around and taking the lead in the third, and I don't really remember. As I kept running without thinking, we managed to tie the score even in difficult situations and win."

With today's victory, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na achieved the momentous feat of reviving the Asian Games women's doubles gold after a span of 24 years, following the victory by Ra Kyung-min and Lee Kyung-won at the 2002 Busan tournament.

Having worn the silver medal at the previous 2022 Hangzhou tournament, they finally fulfilled their long-held aspiration for gold after stepping onto the final stage for two consecutive tournaments.

However, they noted that even while standing at the highest point of the podium, a sense of regret lingered in a corner of their hearts.

It was due to a heavy sense of responsibility stemming from the team event earlier in the competition, where expectations were high for them to act as a "sure-win card" alongside women's singles "world powerhouse" An Se-young, only for losses in both the quarterfinals and semifinals to leave the national team settling for a bronze medal.

Lee So-hee conveyed, "While it feels great to successfully wrap up the individual event, a sense of apology still remains in my heart for the other players, coaches, and our head coach who prepared just as hard together."

(Photo: Yonhap News)