Seo Chae-hyun (Seoul City Hall, North Face) has brought home a gold medal for South Korea in sports climbing at the Asian Games, marking the country's first gold in eight years.
On October 3, at the Nagoya Port Messe Exhibition Center in Aichi, Japan, Seo secured the top score in the women's lead final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, surpassing her rival, Ai Mori of Japan (47+), to claim the gold medal.
After winning a silver medal in the combined event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and a bronze in bouldering at this tournament, Seo finally reached the pinnacle of her sport by winning gold in her main event, lead climbing.
Seo advanced to the finals alongside Mori after both achieved the top score in the semifinals. Competing last among the eight finalists, she steadily accumulated points, quickly distancing herself from the other competitors to secure the gold with a perfect score.
Kim Chae-young (Jeonju Rock Climbing) finished in fourth place with a score of 38+, narrowly missing out on a medal to bronze medalist Zhang Xuetong of China (39+).
* This article has been translated by AI.
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