Sports
CHINA WINS FIRST GOLD MEDAL AT 2026 ASIAN GAMES
China has secured its first gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after winning the women’s team modern pentathlon event on Sunday, Septembe...
By Wavers Multimedia
The Chinese team, made up of Zhang Mingyu, Wu Xiyao, Meng Xin and Fu Jing, claimed the team title in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, as modern pentathlon became one of the first sports to produce medals at the Games.
CHINA DEFENDS TEAM TITLE
China’s women’s team successfully defended the modern pentathlon team gold it won at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Under the competition rules, each country’s team result is determined by combining the scores of its three highest-ranked athletes in the individual competition.
China finished ahead of South Korea, which took silver, while Japan secured the bronze medal.
SOUTH KOREA WINS INDIVIDUAL GOLD
Although China won the team event, South Korea’s Seong Seung-min claimed the women’s individual modern pentathlon gold medal.
Seong finished first with 1,492 points, ahead of China’s Zhang Mingyu, who won silver, and fellow Chinese athlete Wu Xiyao, who took bronze.
China’s team gold therefore came from the combined performances of its athletes rather than the individual title.
NEW MODERN PENTATHLON FORMAT
The 2026 Asian Games are being held under a revised modern pentathlon format.
The competition now consists of fencing, obstacle racing, swimming and the laser run, which combines running and shooting. The traditional equestrian event has been removed from the format.
The change forms part of the sport’s transition toward the format planned for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
CHINA OPENS ASIAN GAMES MEDAL ACCOUNT
The team gold gives China its first gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The Games officially opened in Nagoya on September 19 and are scheduled to continue through October 4, with athletes from 45 National Olympic Committees competing across 43 sports.
China’s opening gold adds to its strong record in modern pentathlon at the Asian Games and marks the start of its medal campaign at the 2026 continental sporting event.