"Now It's Your Turn to Cry" Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na Complete a Thrilling Revenge Victory... Women's Doubles Win Gold for the First Time in 24 Years [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] They had met five times this year and lost all five. Their opponents had the edge both on paper and in the world rankings. But at the decisive moment, the shuttlecock favored South Korea. At 18–18, in a suffocating battle of destiny, the world's strongest Chinese ace collapsed in pain on the court. Seizing the opportunity, the Korean women finally drove home a golden smash 24 years in the making.
The world No. 2 pair of Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na, both of Incheon International Airport, defeated their "nemesis," the world No. 1 Chinese pair of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, 2–1 (26–28, 21–18, 21–18) in the women's doubles final at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, held on the 29th at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
This was far more than just one victory. It was a remarkable achievement that extended the Asian Games badminton women's doubles gold-medal tradition after a 24-year wait since the Ra Kyung-min–Lee Kyung-won pair at the 2002 Busan Asian Games. It also served as valuable redemption on foreign soil for the painful disappointment of settling for silver at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

As befitted a final, the match was a succession of fierce battles. The two teams repeatedly went to deuce from the opening game, fighting so intensely that they produced the rare score of 26–28. After narrowly dropping the first game, the Lee So-hee–Baek Ha-na pair launched a counterattack in the second with solid defense and sharp net play. Baek Ha-na's tenacious rallies and Lee So-hee's precise cross-court smashes came alive, leveling the match at 21–18.
The decisive third game would determine the gold-medal winners. The Korean pair took an early 10–6 lead but surrendered a 12–15 reversal as China mounted a fierce comeback, leaving them seemingly headed for defeat. South Korea, however, battled back to tie the game at 16–16 through extraordinary focus and continued a nail-biting seesaw battle all the way to 18–18.


At that very moment, a dramatic turn of events unfolded. Liu Shengshu of China, who had been blocking South Korea's sharp attacks, clutched her left foot and collapsed on the court. Medical staff came onto the court as Liu, complaining of pain, remained unable to get up for some time, and play was temporarily suspended.
Liu Shengshu eventually rose and continued competing through the injury, but her mobility declined sharply. With Tan Ning effectively forced to cover the court alone, the Chinese pair left an opening that Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na could not miss. The Korean pair calmly targeted the open spaces and scored three straight points, putting a golden finish on the long, grueling battle with a 21–18 win. It was a thrilling comeback victory over the world No. 1 pair.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter