Korea Ends 24-Year Drought With Epic Women’s Badminton Doubles Gold at Nagoya Asian Games
- At the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on September 29, 2026, South Korea’s world No.
- The gold medal match lived up to expectations, stretching across three intense games filled with lengthy rallies and physical exhaustion.
- The triumph carried immense psychological weight for the South Korean pair.
At the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on September 29, 2026, South Korea’s world No. 2 women’s doubles badminton pair Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na secured a gold medal by defeating China’s world No. 1 Tan Ning and Liu Shengshu 2-1 in a grueling 111-minute final. The victory marks South Korea’s first gold medal in the women’s doubles event since the 2002 Busan Asian Games, breaking a 24-year drought against a formidable Chinese duo.
An Epic 111-Minute Final Decided in the Third Game
The gold medal match lived up to expectations, stretching across three intense games filled with lengthy rallies and physical exhaustion. The opening game set a punishing tone as both pairs battled through an extended struggle before Tan and Liu edged out a 28-26 victory. Lee and Baek responded in the second game, neutralizing the attack to win 21-18 and force a decisive third game. The tension peaked during the rubber game as the score deadlocked at 18-18. At that critical juncture, China’s Liu Shengshu collapsed to the court with a left leg injury. Following medical treatment on the floor, Liu chose to continue playing despite severe mobility restrictions. She dragged her feet and occasionally executed shots from a kneeling or sitting position while partner Tan Ning covered massive ground to sustain their defense. Capitalizing on the physical toll, Lee and Baek claimed three consecutive points to seal the final game 21-18. The physical cost of the marathon match was evident immediately following the final point. All four players collapsed to the court in exhaustion, with Liu unable to stand under her own power and ultimately leaving the arena in a wheelchair.
Revenge and Relief for South Korea After Five Straight Losses
The triumph carried immense psychological weight for the South Korean pair. Lee and Baek earned a silver medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and had dropped five consecutive matches to Tan and Liu leading up to this tournament. By turning the tables on the top-ranked Chinese team, the Korean duo shattered China’s recent dominance in the continental event’s women’s doubles bracket.
Reflecting on the match, Lee admitted that losing the tightly contested first game created doubts. To this day, I still cannot believe we actually won the gold medal,
Lee said, adding that her own legs were nearly cramping near the end and she survived purely on willpower. Partner Baek noted that turning the score around in the latter half of the second game was the turning point of the entire contest.