Seo Chae-hyun was the only climber among eight finalists to reach the top in the women’s lead final, giving Korea its first Asian Games sport-climbing gold since 2018.
She was the only finalist to finish the route
Seo was the only one of eight women’s lead finalists in Nagoya to record a TOP, beating Japan’s Ai Mori after several difficult recent matchups and earning her first Asian Games gold at her second Games.
It is a first for a Korean woman in Asian Games sport climbing
Korea’s previous Asian Games climbing gold came from Chun Jong-won in the men’s combined event in 2018. Seo’s victory ends an eight-year gap and makes her the first Korean woman to win Asian Games climbing gold.
The next target is a separated lead event at LA 2028
Lead, bouldering and speed will be separate medal events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, giving a lead specialist like Seo a clearer route to challenge for Korea’s first Olympic climbing medal.
