[Nagoya AG] Choi Byung-kwang Wins Bronze in Half Marathon Racewalk: "Overwhelmed with Joy and Emotion"

Crosses Finish Line Third with 1:28:35
First Personal Asian Games Medal and Korea's First Track and Field Medal at the Event

Korea's racewalking star Choi Byung-kwang of Samsung Electronics claimed the bronze medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

On the 23rd, Choi finished third in the men's half marathon racewalk held on the Nagoya road course in Japan, clocking a time of 1 hour 28 minutes 35 seconds. He came in after China's Shi Shengjie (1 hour 23 minutes 32 seconds) and Japan's Toshikazu Yamanishi (1 hour 28 minutes 01 seconds). This marks Korea's first track and field medal at this year's Games. It is also the first time in eight years that a Korean athlete has won a medal in athletics at the Asian Games since Joo Hyun-myeong took bronze at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.

Choi Byung-kwang, a South Korean athlete, is celebrating after crossing the finish line in third place in the men's half marathon racewalking event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the Nagoya road course on the 23rd. Nagoya=Photo by Reuters

This was Choi's fourth Asian Games appearance, starting from the 2014 Incheon Games, but it is his first time winning a medal. He said, "I was overwhelmed with happiness and emotion to win a medal at what could be my last Asian Games. I truly believe I owe this medal to the full support provided by the federation for the racewalking team. I am confident that younger athletes will achieve even greater results in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.