[Nagoya AG] 15-Year-Old Jiwoon Choi Climbs from 4th to 1st on Final Day... First Gold in 12 Years for Korean Youth Sailing

At age 15, Jiwoon Choi delivered a dramatic come-from-behind victory, securing Korea's first gold medal in the youth sailing division at the Asian Games in 12 years.

On October 3, at the Kaiyo Yacht Harbor in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Jiwoon Choi competed in the youth dinghy event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. After completing 12 races, he finished with a total of 25 points, clinching the gold medal.

This marks the first time in 12 years that Korea has won gold in a youth sailing event at the Asian Games, dating back to the Optimist U-16 class victory by Seongbin Park at the Incheon 2014 Asian Games.

Jiwoon Choi (right) is smiling brightly after securing the gold medal by finishing first with a final score of 25 points following 12 races in the dinghy event for the youth sailing division at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 3rd at the Kaiyo Yacht Harbor in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Despite being only a third-year middle school student, Jiwoon Choi showed why he is considered Korea’s next-generation sailing ace. He maintained a steady position at the top from the early stages of the competition, including two first-place finishes in the second and fourth races.

However, during the 8th to 10th races held on October 2, he was pursued fiercely by his competitors and slipped to fourth place overall.

Matters became even more uncertain on the morning of October 3, when the final two decisive races faced delays due to insufficient wind — making it impossible to sail. There was a real risk that the races could be canceled altogether. Had the 11th and 12th races been called off due to weather, Choi would have finished the event in fourth place with no medal, as standings after ten races would have been finalized.

Fortunately, the 11th and 12th races proceeded, and Jiwoon Choi’s remarkable concentration enabled a dramatic turnaround. He was first to cross the finish line in the 11th race, narrowing the gap with the leaders. He then followed up with a second-place finish in the final, 12th race, quickly overtaking his rivals.

With this late surge, Jiwoon Choi tied with Ian Koh of Singapore at a total of 25 points. According to the tiebreaker rule—which compares the best individual finishes in order—Jiwoon Choi, who had more higher-ranking finishes, was awarded the gold medal. Third place went to Tiago Cheng de Vilmore Salgado of Hong Kong, who finished with 27 points.

In sailing, penalties are assigned corresponding to each race placement (first place receives 1 point, second place 2 points, and so on), and the total score determines the rankings, with the lowest score ranking highest. Because natural conditions can significantly influence performance, the event consists of several races, and the two worst race scores for each competitor are excluded from the final tally.

Youth sailing divisions have been regularly included in the Asian Games to foster talent development and raise the technical standard of Asian nations. Although recent Asian Games have scaled back youth events in favor of those recognized in the adult Olympic program, this year's Aichi-Nagoya Games expanded the youth category. Jiwoon Choi's dramatic come-from-behind victory delivered the first Korean youth sailing gold in 12 years, signaling a bright future for Korean sailing.

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