Hajimin, a representative of South Korean sailing, returned to the top of the Asian Games for the first time in eight years, securing his fourth gold medal.
On October 2, at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Gamagori Gaiyo Yacht Harbor in Japan, Hajimin achieved a final score of 9 points in the men's dinghy final race to win the gold medal. With this victory, he has medaled in all five Asian Games he has participated in, from the 2010 Guangzhou Games to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Games.
After winning his first gold medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Games, Hajimin claimed three consecutive titles at the 2014 Incheon and 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. However, at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, he earned a silver medal when the final medal race could not be held due to a lack of wind, ending his winning streak. This year, he reclaimed the gold medal after an eight-year gap.
The competition this year was not without its challenges. Hajimin received a disqualification in the opening series, resulting in a 19-point penalty.
In the men's dinghy opening series, the worst result can be excluded from the final tally. As a result, the 19-point penalty was dropped, but Hajimin had to minimize further mistakes in subsequent races. He went on to win the next three races, finishing the opening series in first place. He maintained his lead in the final series, winning with a total of 9 points, while Nicholas Beji Holiday from Hong Kong took the silver with 11 points, and Kairolnizam Mohd Apandi from Malaysia secured the bronze with 14 points.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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