All records set by An Se-young after winning gold at Asian Games 2026

An Se-young became the first women’s singles player to defend the Asian Games crown.

South Korea’s An Se-young once again made history at the Asian Games 2026, successfully defending her women’s singles gold with a dominant run in Aichi-Nagoya.

The World No. 1 defeated Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-9 in the final on September 29, completing an unbeaten individual campaign. The victory marked An’s ninth consecutive win over Yamaguchi, defeating the Japanese shuttler in the women’s team semi-final, where South Korea went on to claim bronze.

Her stellar 2026 season now boasts 56 wins and just one defeat. With these victories, she has also equalled a significant record held by the legendary Indonesian player Susi Susanti.

Here are five records and milestones An Se-young achieved at the Asian Games 2026.

First women’s singles player to defend Asian Games crown

An Se-young became the first women’s singles player in Asian Games history to win consecutive gold medals.

Having won the title at the Hangzhou Games, An successfully defended her crown in Aichi-Nagoya by defeating Akane Yamaguchi in the final.

The women’s singles event has been part of the Asian Games since 1962, but no player had previously won the title at two consecutive editions.

Won the Asian Games title without dropping a game

An produced a flawless individual campaign in Aichi-Nagoya, winning all five matches without dropping a single game. She defeated Kazakhstan’s Kamila Smagulova, Sri Lanka’s Ranithma Liyanage, Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon, China’s Chen Yufei and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in straight games.

Her run gave her a perfect 10-0 record in games during the individual competition, including a 21-17, 21-9 victory over Yamaguchi in the final.

Third South Korean badminton champion to win consecutive Asian Games titles

An Se-young also became the third South Korean badminton champion to win consecutive Asian Games gold. Before her, the mixed doubles pair of Park Joo-bong and Chung Myung-hee in 1986 and 1990, followed by Kim Dong-moon and Ra Kyung-min in 1998 and 2002 achieved this feat.

An is the first South Korean to achieve the feat in women’s singles, adding another layer to her historic title defence.

Completed another World Championships-Asian Games double

An also became one of the rare players to win both the World Championships and Asian Games titles in the same calendar year. She won the World Championships earlier in 2026 before adding the Asian Games women’s singles gold in Aichi-Nagoya.

It marked the second time she had completed the same double, having previously achieved the feat in 2023.

Matched Susi Susanti’s international wins mark

An’s extraordinary run at the Asian Games 2026 also saw her reach a landmark associated with Indonesian badminton legend Susi Susanti.

By winning the women’s singles title, the South Korean claimed her 46th career international title, matching Susanti’s record for the most international titles won by a women’s singles player.

The milestone adds another significant achievement to a career that has already established An as one of the leading figures in modern women’s singles badminton. She also finished 2026 with an impressive 56 wins from 57 matches, with just one defeat.

An’s historic Aichi-Nagoya campaign

An Se-young’s Asian Games campaign was therefore about much more than simply defending her gold medal.

She became the first women’s singles player to defend an Asian Games gold, joined an elite group of South Korean badminton athletes, completed a perfect individual campaign without dropping a game and added another World Championships – Asian Games double to her list of achievements.

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