South Korea's first two-time champion emerges—and in canoeing... Cho Gwang-hee and Kim Hyo-bin win gold 36 years later [20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya]

[Financial News] South Korean canoeing finally ended a 36-year wait on Japan's home turf. The Cho Gwang-hee–Kim Hyo-bin duo held off Japan's fierce late charge by just 0.317 seconds, cutting through the water to win gold for the second consecutive day and become the Korean delegation's first two-time champions at these Asian Games.
Cho Gwang-hee and Kim Hyo-bin crossed the finish line first in 1:31.859 in the men's kayak double (K2) 500m final at the 2026 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya canoe sprint competition, held on the 25th at Miyoshi Lake Canoe Course in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was the Korean delegation's 11th gold medal of the Games.
It was a valuable achievement that came after a 36-year wait. South Korea had not won gold in the men's K2 500m at the Asian Games since the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, when Chun In-shik and Park Cha-keun claimed the title. The race marked a complete revival of South Korea as a leading force in Asian canoeing after a long period of darkness.


The final was a thrilling contest that kept spectators on the edge of their seats. The opening stages were cautious, with the teams feeling each other out. South Korea covered the first 250m in 43.73 seconds and reached the halfway point in second place overall. In the latter half, however, Cho Gwang-hee and Kim Hyo-bin revealed their hidden strength. A sharp burst put them in front, and they continued paddling relentlessly to build their speed.
Japan, buoyed by the home-course advantage, posed the biggest threat. The Japanese pair produced the fastest 250m split among all the teams, clocking 47.616 seconds in the second half and mounting a fierce challenge right behind South Korea. But the experienced Korean paddlers did not lose their focus. Giving everything they had over the final 10m, they narrowly held off Japan, which finished in 1:32.176, by just 0.317 seconds and roared in triumph.
The two athletes' performance was one of the highlights of the Games. After teaming up to win the first gold medal in the history of South Korean canoeing in the K4 500m the previous day, Cho Gwang-hee and Kim Hyo-bin became the first members of the Korean delegation at the Aichi-Nagoya Games to win multiple gold medals.

The gold medal held special meaning for veteran Cho Gwang-hee. At the previous 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, he partnered with Jang Sang-won and had to settle for silver in this event. Competing with Kim Hyo-bin this time, he showed remarkable determination by finally changing the medal's color to gold. The powerful spray from the South Korean kayak duo, who rewrote 36 years of history, is turning the skies over Nagoya golden.

[email protected] Reporter Jeon Sang-il Reporter