Meet Kang Jun-i, TV skateboarding prodigy turned Asian Games champion

Kang Jun-i, a 17-year-old Korean skateboarder, has achieved a historic milestone by winning the first-ever Asian Games gold medal in skateboarding at the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The victory brings significant attention to his early appearance on SBS Genius Discovery Team seven years ago. Kang dominated the men's street final, scoring an impressive 180.85 points, surpassing Japanese skateboarding stars Toa Sasaki and Ginwoo Onodera.

Street skateboarding is a thrilling sport that involves riding a board on various urban obstacles, including stairs, handrails, rails, ramps, and benches. This accomplishment marks a historic moment for Korean skateboarding, as it is the first time a Korean skateboarder has secured an Asian Games gold medal since the sport's official debut at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.

The previous best result for Korea was a bronze medal won by Eun Ju-won in the men's street event during the same Games in 2018.

The high school student's emotional reaction upon his victory cannot be understated, stating, "It feels like a dream. I can't believe it." He further expressed his aspirations, saying that winning gold at the Los Angeles Olympics would be his next goal. Kang's journey with skateboarding began at the age of 8, and in 2019, when he was just 12, he made headlines as a skateboarder on SBS Genius Discovery Team.