Meet Kang Jun-i, TV skateboarding prodigy turned Asian Games champion
Kang Jun-i, 17, has won Korea's first-ever Asian Games gold medal in skateboarding, bringing renewed attention to his appearance on SBS' "Genius Discovery Team" seven years ago. Kang scored 180.85 points in the men's street final at the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, finishing ahead of Japanese skateboarding stars Toa Sasaki and Ginwoo Onodera. Street skateboarding involves riding a board on the…
Kang Jun-i, a 17-year-old Korean prodigy, has etched his name in history by clinching the first-ever Asian Games gold medal in skateboarding for his home country. This momentous achievement was realized at the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where Kang outshone fellow skateboarding talents Toa Sasaki and Ginwoo Onodera with an impressive score of 180.85 points in the men's street final.
This gold medal victory marks a significant milestone, as it is the inaugural Korean triumph in Asian Games history since skateboarding became an official sport at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. Prior to Kang's stunning feat, the nation's best performance in this category was a bronze medal, secured by Eun Ju-won in the men's street event of 2018.
The high school student's elation upon winning the gold medal was palpable. He expressed his disbelief with a simple yet profound statement: "It feels like a dream. I can't believe it." Kang's dream, however, extends beyond this Asian Games gold. The aspiring athlete aspires to achieve greatness at the prestigious Los Angeles Olympics. Kang's fascination with skateboarding began at the tender age of 8. In 2019, at the age of 12, he captured the attention of the masses when he featured on SBS's Genius Discovery Team.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
