Nagoya:South Korea's long wait for a gold medal in the women's balance beam at the Asian Games ended after 40 years thanks to the performance of teenager Hwang Seo-hyun.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Hwang, 16, clinched the gold medal by scoring 14.700 points at the women's balance beam final held at Nagoya General Gymnasium in central Japan. This historic win was achieved by surpassing China's Qiu Qiyuan, a former uneven bars world champion, who scored 14.566 points, and Japan's Mana Okamura, who earned 14.300 points.
Hwang expressed her satisfaction with the result, stating, "I competed in the final just as usual. I'm glad with this good result." She noted that while the score did not surprise her, as it was similar to her previous performances at the Asian championships, finishing first did.
This victory marks the first time a South Korean female gymnast has won the Asian Games balance beam gold since Seo Seon-ang achieved it at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games. Hwang joins the ranks of only four South Korean female artistic gymnasts who have won an individual Asian Games gold, including Seo Seon-ang, Seo Yeon-hee in the uneven bars in 1986, and Yeo Seo-jeong in the vault in 2018 and 2026.
Hwang secured her place at the Asian Games after initially missing out on the national team selection. She earned the fifth spot following her balance beam title at last year's Asian championships, which improved her selection points.
Her nearly flawless performance in the final turned that opportunity into a gold medal. Reflecting on her win, Hwang said, "I was so touched when watching the leaderboard. It was a totally different feeling from what I felt during the Asian championships. It's unrealistic that I won the gold medal in the event for the first time in 40 years."
Looking ahead, Hwang is setting her sights on the artistic gymnastics world championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, next month, and eventually the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. "I want to become a balance beam medalist at the Olympics," she stated. "On my way to that goal, I'll perform well at the upcoming world championships."