Hong10, a living legend of Korean breaking, secured his second consecutive silver medal at the Asian Games.
On October 3, at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan, Hong10 faced Japan's Shigekix in the men's breaking final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, losing by a round score of 0-3 (0-9, 1-8, 4-5).
The final opponent was Nakadai, whom Hong10 had faced in the finals of the 2022 Hangzhou Games three years prior, where he also lost, this time by a score of 1-2 (4-5, 3-6, 6-3).
Nakadai started the first round with a top rock, seamlessly transitioning into power moves like windmills and headspins, establishing control. Hong10, wearing a beige beanie, responded with light footwork and rhythmic movements but failed to earn any votes from the nine judges.
In the second round, Hong10 countered with floor techniques, including a one-handed freeze. He narrowed the gap in the third round, scoring 4-5, but could not surpass Nakadai, who maintained his stamina through the final round.
Out of 27 votes cast by the judges over three rounds, 22 went to Nakadai.
After the results were announced, Hong10 embraced Nakadai to congratulate him on his victory.
The path to the finals was not easy for Hong10. On the morning of the preliminaries, he experienced severe back pain and even considered withdrawing. It was only after receiving assistance from trainers and medical staff that he was able to compete.
Having overcome this hurdle, Hong10 defeated Amir Zakirov from Kazakhstan 2-0 in the quarterfinals and then triumphed over Wang Rui-miao from China 3-0 in the semifinals to reach the final stage.
Born in 1984, Hong10 began breaking in 1998. While many of his contemporaries have long since left the stage, he has continued his career despite recurring injuries to his neck, back, and knees.
His skills remain sharp. He claimed victory at the prestigious Red Bull BC One World Final in 2006 and 2013, and again at the age of 38 in 2023.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he was the only Korean breaking athlete to compete, and he was the oldest participant among the competitors. Unfortunately, he was eliminated in the group stage.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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