'4th to 3rd' Shin Ji-eun Rallies to Win Bronze, Delivering South Korea's First Medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

[Financial News] The South Korean delegation's first medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games came in cycling. Shin Ji-eun (24, Geumsan County Office) started the women's individual time trial in fourth place, moved up to third midway through the race, and held on to win bronze.
Shin Ji-eun finished third with a time of 36:56.14 in the women's individual time trial held on the 20th at the Shinshiro Circuit Course in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
It was the first medal won by the entire South Korean delegation competing at these Games. Kazakhstan's Rinata Sultanova took gold with a time of 36:23.72, while China's Zhang Hao won silver in 36:28.40. The gap between Shin Ji-eun and champion Sultanova was 32.42 seconds.
Shin Ji-eun's medal was decided during her mid-race chase. She was in fourth place when she passed the first segment in 12:58.31. However, she picked up the pace in the second segment, moving into third with a time of 24:49.70. She then maintained her pace to the finish line and held on to the bronze.
Unlike a standard road race, in which several riders start simultaneously, riders in an individual time trial start one at a time at set intervals. Rankings are determined solely by the time taken to complete the designated course, making individual pace management and the ability to ride alone decisive.
Shin Ji-eun, who competes in both road and track cycling, has consistently finished among the medalists on the Asian stage since the start of this year. At the 2026 Asian Road Championships, she placed third in the women's individual road race and fourth in the individual time trial. At the Asian Track Cycling Championships, she also won bronze in the omnium and silver in the team pursuit.
 


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