The athletics events at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will kick off on September 23 with race walking and continue until September 29.
This competition features 50 gold medals, the second highest after swimming, and the South Korean team is aiming for its first gold medal in eight years.
In the last three Asian Games, South Korea has won only one gold medal. At the 2014 Incheon Games, the team secured four silver and six bronze medals, while at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, they earned one gold, one silver, and three bronze. In the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held in 2023, they won one silver and two bronze medals.
Over the past 12 years, the only South Korean athlete to win a gold medal in athletics at the Asian Games was Jeong Hye-rim, who triumphed in the women's 100m hurdles at the Jakarta-Palembang Games.
A total of 42 South Korean athletes will compete in athletics, with high jumper Woo Sang-hyuk being the standout contender. He is participating in his fourth Asian Games, having finished 10th in Incheon, won a silver medal in Jakarta-Palembang, and also earned a silver in Hangzhou. The qualifying round is set for September 24, with the final on September 27.
South Korea's athletics team is also hopeful for a medal in the men's 4x400m relay, featuring Biwesa Daniel Gasama, Namadi Joeljin, Lee Jae-sung, Seo Min-jun, and Kim Si-on. The two athletes recently tied for the second-fastest time in South Korean history in the men's 100m with a time of 10.13 seconds. The final for the relay is scheduled for September 28.
Additionally, Park Si-hoon, who won a silver medal at the recent World Athletics U-20 Championships in the men's shot put, and Kim Jang-woo, who set a South Korean record of 17.13 meters in the men's triple jump at the national championships last June, will both aim for medals in their respective finals on September 26.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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