An Se-young becomes first woman to win back-to-back singles badminton gold at Asian Games
The world No. 1 shuttler defeated Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-9 in the women’s singles final
South Korea’s An Se-young made history at the Asian Games 2026, becoming the first women’s singles player to win back-to-back gold medals at the continental tournament.
The world No. 1 shuttler defeated Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-9 in the women’s singles final at the Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture on Tuesday, September 29.
The victory marked the second consecutive gold medal for An, who had also won gold at the Hangzhou 2022 Games.
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As a result, she became the first player to defend the women’s singles title at the Asian Games, becoming the first player to achieve this feat since 1962.
An’s latest victory also took her international tournament victories to 46. She is currently tied with Indonesian legend Susi Susanti.
The South Korean star had lost just once in 2026 and also won the BWF World Championships title in August.
An Se-young caps off brilliant Asian Games 2026 campaign
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An began her Aichi-Nagoya Games campaign by beating Kazakhstan’s Kamila Smagulova in 17 minutes in the first round.
She then beat Sri Lanka’s Ranithma Liyanage in 32 minutes in the Round of 16 before beating Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon in 31 minutes in the quarter-finals. She faced China’s Chen Yufei in the semi-finals, triumphing in 38 minutes.
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An’s clash against Yamaguchi was her longest match of the tournament, lasting 49 minutes. The Japanese shuttler began on the front foot, going 6-3 ahead.
However, An fought back, levelling at 8-8 and then moving ahead at 16-13. Although Yamaguchi levelled at 16-16, An clinched the opening game 21-17.
The South Korean started the second game well, going 4-0 ahead. However, Yamaguchi fought back with a seven-point surge to move 9-4 ahead. An then quickly regained control of the contest, pulling away with a 21-9 victory and sealing a straight-games win.
Her latest title added to her pursuit of a second career Grand Slam, which requires winning the Olympics, World Championships, Asian Games, and Asian Championships.
How did An Se-young perform at Asian Games 2026?
She won the women’s singles gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, defending her title from Hangzhou 2022.
Who did An Se-young beat in the Asian Games 2026 women’s singles final?
She defeated Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-9 in the women’s singles final.
How many Asian Games gold medals has An Se-young won?
She has won two consecutive Asian Games women’s singles gold medals, in 2022 and 2026.
Who is the first and only shuttler to defend badminton women’s singles gold at Asian Games?
An se-young has become the first woman to successfully defend the women’s singles title at the continental event.
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