An Se-young wins second straight Asian Games badminton gold

South Korean badminton player An Se-young cemented her status as a generational talent by winning her second consecutive Asian Games gold medal in the women's singles on September 29, 2026. She defeated Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 2-0 (21-17, 21-9) in the final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Ichinomiya, Japan.

This victory makes An Se-young the first player in the competition's history to achieve back-to-back gold medals in the women's singles, a discipline first contested in 1962. Her recent achievements also include world titles in 2023 and 2026, and an Olympic gold in 2024. She has maintained the No. 1 ranking in women's singles for over 100 weeks and, in 2025, set a record by winning 11 international titles and earning over US$1 million in prize money in a single season.

Despite facing strong competition from other top Asian players, including Wang Zhiyi and Chen Yufei of China, and Yamaguchi, An Se-young reached the final without dropping a game. Her path to the final included swift victories over Kamila Smagulova of Kazakhstan (17 minutes), Ranithma Liyanage of Sri Lanka (32 minutes), and Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand (31 minutes). Her semifinal match against Chen Yufei lasted 38 minutes, with the final against Yamaguchi being her longest of the tournament at 49 minutes.

An Se-young described her playing style as tenacious defense, stamina, patience, and superb court coverage, which allows her to outlast opponents in long rallies. While she suggested the final was not as easy as it appeared, she noted her strategy to make quick decisions on court to avoid becoming mistake-prone.