"Winning back-to-back Asian Games titles is just part of my journey," said An Se-young, who has rewritten the history of women's badminton.
The world No. 1 player claimed victory on September 29 at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, defeating world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 2-0 (21-17, 21-9) in the women's singles final held at the Ichinomiya City Gymnasium.
With this win, An became the first player to achieve consecutive gold medals in women's singles at the Asian Games, a record that has stood since badminton was officially included in the 1962 Jakarta Games.
While An expressed her excitement over the new record, she emphasized that it is just one milestone in her career.
"I didn’t think about being the first; I just wanted to win," An said after the match. "But now that it’s over, I feel overwhelmed." She added, "The Asian Games gold medal is just one step in my career. I will participate in many more tournaments, and I’m excited to see how much more I can grow."
An previously announced her arrival on the international stage with a dramatic victory over China's Chen Yufei in the final of the 2022 Hangzhou Games.
This time, she showcased her dominance, proving her status as the world's best player.
In the final, Yamaguchi, a three-time world champion, started strong but An quickly took control, countering her opponent's attacks with ease. In the second game, An capitalized on Yamaguchi's fatigue, allowing only nine points.
Reflecting on the match, An noted, "Yamaguchi is a fast and defensive player, which made me think a lot about my strokes. I had to make quick decisions to avoid mistakes, and that led to a good outcome."
She acknowledged her growth since the Hangzhou Games, stating, "I have changed a lot compared to three years ago. The intense matches back then helped me grow, and I am grateful for that process."
Despite her historic achievement of back-to-back Asian Games titles, An is already looking ahead.
"I still feel my attacking skills are lacking. Yamaguchi can attack accurately from any angle, and I’m not quite there yet," she said. "If I continue to practice and refine my offensive game, I believe I can become a more complete player."
When asked to rate her performance in this tournament, An said, "I would give myself a score of 90. I learned a lot from losing a game to Yamaguchi in the team event. That experience has made me stronger. A score of 90 feels generous."
Looking to the future, An added, "I can’t quite imagine what I will be like in four years. I hope to be even more developed, and I definitely want to achieve a double gold medal next time."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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