With 2nd straight gold, An Se-young cements case as greatest shuttler of her generation
ICHINOMIYA, Japan — At 24 and still in her athletic prime, shuttler An Se-young has already accomplished more in the past couple of years than what many would take their entire career to achieve. She won the world titles in 2023 and 2026, and also an Olympic gold in 2024. She has held the No. 1 ranking in the women's singles for over 100 weeks. In 2025, An won a record 11 international titles and…
Ichinomiya, Japan — At just 24 years old, badminton sensation An Se-young has already reached feats that many athletes only dream of achieving throughout their careers. She claimed world championships in 2023 and 2026, as well as an Olympic gold medal in 2024. The South Korean player has held the No. 1 ranking in women's singles for over 100 weeks.
In 2025, An recorded a record-breaking 11 international titles and became the first badminton player ever to earn more than $1 million in prize money in a single season. Once again, An Se-young demonstrated her exceptional talent at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in central Japan on Tuesday. By defeating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 2-0 (21-17, 21-9) in the women's singles final, she became the first athlete to win consecutive women's singles gold medals in the tournament's history.
The women's singles category has been a part of the Asian Games since its inception in 1962. An Se-young's latest victory solidifies her status as the greatest badminton player of her generation, if not all time. Despite the fierce competition in Asia, An emerged victorious with remarkable ease.
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.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
