(LEAD) (Asaid) S. Korea's Choi Ji-un wins gold in boys' dinghy sailing at Asian Games

NAGOYA, Japan (Yonhap) - South Korea's teenage sailor Choi Ji-un secured a historic gold medal in the boys' dinghy sailing event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Saturday. At 15 years old, Choi became the youngest gold medalist in South Korea's delegation since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. His victory marked the first time since then that South Korea claimed a boys' event in sailing.

The final race took place at Kaiyoh Yacht Harbor in Gamagori, situated 50 kilometers southeast of Nagoya, the main host city. Choi's impressive comeback from fourth place after 10 races led him to win the event outright, with a total of 25 points. Singapore's Goh Ian finished second, and Hong Kong's Cheng de Villemor Salgado Tiago claimed bronze.

In the dinghy event, sailors earn points based on their finishing positions in each race, with penalties deducted from their score. After 12 races, athletes can discard their worst two results. Choi capitalized on this system, finishing first in the 11th race and second in the final race, ultimately tying with Singapore's Goh. However, Choi claimed the tiebreaker due to his superior finishes.