Jung Ha-eun (Yongin City Hall) and Yoon Gyu-seong (2nd Army Command) have both advanced to the finals of the taekwondo poomsae events at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, signaling a strong possibility for a joint gold medal.
On October 1, at the Toyohashi Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Jung secured her spot in the women's individual poomsae final by scoring an average of 8.930 points in the semifinals, which included both the official and free poomsae.
In her first performance, the official poomsae 'Goryeo,' Jung received a score of 9.020, combining 3.600 points for accuracy and 5.420 points for expression. In the free poomsae, she scored 8.840 points, with 5.280 points for technical skill and 3.560 points for presentation.
Jung's scores were the highest in her group, surpassing second-place Tittari Kaeuolansawas (Thailand) by 0.210 points, who scored 8.720.
Yoon Gyu-seong also topped his group in the men's individual poomsae semifinals with an average score of 8.940, securing his place in the finals.
Yoon scored 8.940 points in the official poomsae 'Geumgang,' with 3.500 points for accuracy and 5.440 points for expression. He matched this score in the free poomsae, combining 5.400 points for technical skill and 3.540 points for presentation.
The poomsae competition at this event is conducted using a cutoff system based solely on scores, without head-to-head matchups. A total of eight competitors from both the men's and women's categories will compete in the finals. The medal winners will be determined by averaging the scores from one performance of the official poomsae and one of the free poomsae.
Poomsae was officially included in the Asian Games for the first time at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, where Kang Min-seong won the gold medal in the men's individual event. In the previous 2022 Hangzhou Games, Kang Wan-jin and Cha Ye-eun both stood atop the podium in their respective individual events.
If Yoon wins, it will mark Korea's third consecutive gold medal in the men's individual poomsae at the Asian Games. Should Jung triumph, she will achieve back-to-back gold medals in the women's individual event.
The women's individual final is scheduled for 3:30 PM, followed by the men's individual final at 5 PM.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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