The Korean rhythmic gymnastics team has advanced to the finals of the newly introduced group all-around event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
On October 2, at the Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, Japan, the team scored 23.900 points in Rotation 1 (5 balls) and 23.300 points in Rotation 2 (3 hoops and 2 clubs), totaling 47.200 points.
With this score, Korea placed 4th among the 10 participating countries, securing a spot in the finals for the top eight teams.
The group all-around event is making its debut at this Asian Games. Previously, rhythmic gymnastics team events ranked countries based on individual scores, but this year, the Olympic-sanctioned group all-around format has replaced it. In this format, five athletes perform as a team, and their scores are evaluated based on difficulty, artistry, and execution.
The Korean team, consisting of Kim Ji-woo (Korea National Sport University), Kim Min-seul (Yongin University), Lee Jeong-eun (Sejong University), Park Soo-yeon (Uncheon High School), and Yan Yegacheryna (Korea National Sport University), is targeting the first medal in this event for Korea at the Asian Games.
In the first routine with 5 balls, one ball went out of bounds. However, the athletes quickly retrieved a spare ball and continued their performance. A deduction of 0.3 points was applied, but they scored 23.900 points, starting in a tie for 3rd place with Japan, behind Kazakhstan (26.950 points) and China (26.500 points).
In the subsequent routine with 3 hoops and 2 clubs, they showcased a challenging element of throwing and catching three hoops simultaneously. Although they dropped a club midway through the performance, they executed the remaining elements smoothly, adding 23.300 points. They finished the qualification in 4th place, falling behind Japan, which scored 24.400 points in that routine.
Kazakhstan topped the qualification with a total score of 53.300, followed by China with 53.000 points and Japan with 48.300 points.
Earlier in the individual all-around qualifications, Seo Eun-chae (Suwon City Hall) placed 5th, and Ha Su-i (Korea National Sport University) placed 9th, both qualifying for the finals.
The team will pursue medals on October 3, with the individual all-around finals featuring Seo Eun-chae and Ha Su-i scheduled for 1 PM, followed by the group all-around finals at 7 PM at the Rainbow Hall in Nagoya.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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