An Se-young wins historic back-to-back Asian Games gold

South Korean badminton star An Se-young made history at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by becoming the first player to win back-to-back gold medals in the women's singles event. She secured her victory by defeating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi with a 2-0 score (21-17, 21-9) in the final. Throughout the tournament, An maintained a dominant performance, winning five consecutive matches without dropping a single game.

In addition to An's individual success, the South Korean women's doubles team, consisting of Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na, also claimed the gold medal after a grueling match against China. The South Korean badminton delegation concluded the games with two gold medals and three bronze medals.

Following her victory, An Se-young expressed her happiness at fulfilling her promise to have the South Korean national anthem played in Japan. She noted that she remains focused on future challenges, including the upcoming World Tour events and her long-term goal of winning consecutive Olympic gold medals.