South Korea’s Cho Won-woo wins his country’s first gold medal in sailing at the Asian Games

South Korea’s Cho Won-woo wins his country’s first gold medal in sailing at the Asian Games

South Korea Propels to New Heights: First Gold in Sailing at the Asian Games

In an unexpected twist of events, South Korea raises the bar by securing its first gold medal in men’s sailing at the 19th Asian Games in China. The triumphant feat was achieved on Wednesday, marking a critical milestone in South Korea’s sporting history.

Crowning the Champion: Cho Won-woo

Emerging as the new sailing maestro, Cho Won-woo stood at the zenith of the podium of the men’s RS:X windsurfing at Ningbo Xiangshan Sailing Centre in Ningbo, situated east of the host city, Hangzhou. Amid intense competition, Cho managed to secure the most race points for the gold medal after 14 gruelling races. Eabad Ali of India followed suit, finishing as the runner-up, while Muhammad Izzuddin bin Abdul Rani of Malaysia held the third position. While Cho’s gold medal victory was confirmed after the 12th race, the medal was officially presented on Wednesday amongst other sailing sub-divisions.

The Last of its Kind: RS:X Windsurfing

In a bittersweet turn of events, Cho will also be remembered as the last RS:X gold medalist at the Asian Games. The discipline will no longer be a part of the official Asian Games competitions list from the next 2026 edition, as it is set to be replaced with iQFoil, which will also be introduced at the Paris Olympics next year.

“It’s more meaningful that this is the last race at the Asian Games. There will no longer be gold medalists in this event after me,” Cho expressed. “I like the title, the last gold medalist.”

A Strong Sailing Performance for South Korea

South Korea’s sailing excellence did not stop at the gold medal. The country achieved an impressive feat by adding four more medals to its tally – two silvers and two bronzes. Ha Jee-min secured silver in the men’s single-handed dinghy race, while Lee Tae-hoon followed in the men’s iQFoil windsurfing race. Not to be outdone, Lee Young-eun also took home a bronze in the women’s formula kite competition. Lastly, South Korea’s mixed dinghy 470 race team brought home a bronze, solidifying the country’s strong performance in sailing at this year’s Asian Games.

The Scoring System in Sailing

In sailing, a point-based system determines the ranks. Participants receive points equivalent to their position in each race. Following all the fleet races’ completion, sailors are permitted to exclude their worst race score. The remaining scores are totalled, and the sailor with the lowest score emerges victorious in the event. Cho Won-woo’s mastery of this system assisted him in achieving his landmark gold medal victory, setting a new standard for South Korean sailing.