The world’s top-ranked mixed doubles team of Im Jong-hoon (Korea Exchange) and Shin Yu-bin (Korean Air) could not overcome the challenge posed by China. Despite leading 2-1 at one point, they ultimately fell short in the decisive fifth game, settling for a bronze medal at the Asian Games for the second consecutive time.
Im and Shin faced off against China’s Lin Shidong and Qiu Yiman in the semifinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games mixed doubles event on September 25 at the Toyota Sky Hall in Aichi Prefecture. They lost the match 4-2 (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 9-11, 10-12, 3-11). In mixed doubles, there is no separate third-place playoff, so both losing teams in the semifinals receive bronze medals.
The match started positively for the Korean duo. Although they allowed China to score consecutively at the beginning of the first game, they calmly fought back to win 11-9. They lost the second game 8-11 but quickly regained their momentum.
In the third game, they built a lead early on, with Im’s aggressive play and Shin’s steady connections resulting in an 11-7 victory, putting them ahead 2-1. However, they dropped the fourth game 9-11, bringing the match back to even.
The outcome hinged on the fifth game. Im and Shin created an opportunity for game point but failed to capitalize. The game went to deuce, where they allowed consecutive points, ultimately losing 10-12. This shift in momentum favored the Chinese team.
Facing elimination, the Koreans aimed for a comeback in the sixth game but could not withstand the Chinese onslaught. They fell behind early and lost the final game 3-11, ending their hopes of reaching the finals.
This result is disappointing for Im and Shin, who had set their sights on winning a gold medal at the tournament. The two players have consistently teamed up on the international stage since winning a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics. They have claimed titles at several international competitions, including the World Table Tennis (WTT) Finals last year, and secured victories at the Star Contender Ljubljana and US Smash events this year, maintaining their status as the world’s top-ranked pair.
However, they were once again thwarted by China at the Asian Games. Three years ago, they also won a bronze medal at the Hangzhou Games, and this time they aimed for Korea’s first-ever gold medal in mixed doubles at the Asian Games but ended up with another bronze.
Shin Yu-bin’s quest for medals continues. In the women’s singles, she defeated Indonesia’s Sitra Rasmi 4-0 to advance to the next round. Partnering with Joo Cheon-hee (Samsung Life) in the women’s doubles, they also triumphed over an Indonesian pair 3-1. The reigning women’s doubles champion from the Hangzhou Games, Shin Yu-bin, aims for a consecutive title with her new partner Joo Cheon-hee.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.