(LEAD) (Asiad) S. Korea's Kim Min-young wins 1st kurash gold at Asian Games

On September 29, South Korea's Kim Min-young clinched a historic victory in the women's +87-kilogram kurash event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, securing the nation's first Asiad title in the wrestling-like sport. The 21-year-old athlete emerged victorious over Chinese Taipei's Shih Liu Li-ling with a score of 5-0 in the final match at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall in Nagoya, Japan.

This triumph marked the first time a South Korean athlete had won a gold medal in kurash since the sport was first included in the Asian Games in 2018. Prior to this, South Korea had claimed two silver medals and two bronze medals in kurash at the Asian Games, including a silver by Mo Su-min in the women's 78-kg category in the previous day's event.

Kurash, a traditional Central Asian wrestling discipline, involves scoring through throws, with the khalol—a throw that lands the opponent on their back—being the only accepted method for victory. Kim, who transitioned from judo to kurash, secured her place in the gold medal match by winning her previous rounds via khalol, including a full point in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, she triumphed over Kazakhstan's Arailym Shegenova with a score of 1-0. Ultimately, Kim amassed five points in the gold medal bout, while Shih accumulated two penalties, or dakki, during the match.