The South Korean men's 400m relay team has successfully overturned a disqualification ruling, allowing them to advance to the finals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The team, consisting of Kim Si-on (Military Athletic Corps), Namadi Joel Jin (Yecheon City Hall), Lee Jae-sung (Gwangju City Hall), and Biwesa Daniel Kasama (Ansan City Hall), was disqualified during the preliminary round held on September 27 at the Mizuhokouen Athletics Stadium in Nagoya, Japan.
The South Korean team recorded a time of 39.33 seconds, finishing fourth in their heat behind Japan (38.71), Thailand (38.89), and Oman (38.99). Based on their initial time, they would have qualified for the finals in seventh place overall.
However, the team was disqualified after officials determined that the first runner, Kim Si-on, had stepped outside the exchange zone while passing the baton to the second runner, Namadi Joel Jin.
Immediately following the disqualification, the team submitted video evidence to contest the ruling, asserting that there was no issue with the baton exchange process. The objection was accepted, leading to the reversal of the disqualification, and the team’s time of 39.33 seconds was officially recognized, allowing them to compete in the finals.
As a result, South Korea will have another opportunity to compete for a medal in the finals. Singapore, which had initially qualified for the finals due to South Korea's disqualification, will also maintain its spot, bringing the total number of teams in the finals to nine.
South Korea is looking to secure a medal in the relay, bolstered by the performances of Namadi and Biwesa, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the men's 100m event at this tournament.
The team has also seen recent success, having set a new national record of 38.49 seconds in the men's 400m relay at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi last year, where Namadi, Seo Min-jun, Lee Jae-sung, and Lee Jun-hyuk claimed the gold medal.
In previous Asian Games, South Korea won bronze medals in the men's 400m relay at the 1986 Seoul Games and the 2022 Hangzhou Games, adding a medal in this event for the first time in 37 years. However, the team has yet to secure a gold medal in the men's 400m relay at the Asian Games.
Having overcome the disqualification hurdle, South Korea will compete for a medal again in the finals scheduled for September 28 at 10:33 PM at the same venue.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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