"A beauty ripped straight from a wuxia novel" captivates Japan! Excited over the Taekwondo silver medal, "Did such a wonderful sport even exist? I'm hooked." The crimson uniform and sword dance steal the spotlight [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

Wushu events "Taijiquan" and "Taijijian," which cannot be seen at the Olympic stage, have emerged as a hot topic at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. With Japan's Saito Shihou winning a silver medal in these events and showcasing a spectacular performance, local sports fans are now focusing their attention on them.

Japan's sports specialty outlet 'D-Answer' reported on the 21st that Saito won a silver medal in the women's Taijiquan and Taijijian events at the tournament held the previous day. It further noted that "local fans turned their enthusiastic attention to the Chinese-originated sport, which is not included in the Olympics," conveying the fervent atmosphere of the event.

In this tournament, the Wushu Tulu (martial arts performance) event in which Saito participated is a judged category that ranks competitors based on an overall evaluation of the accuracy, difficulty, and artistry of their movements. The participating athletes must perform both "Taijiquan," which expresses inner strength hidden within softness using bare hands, and "Taijijian," which showcases fluid swordsmanship while wielding a double-edged sword.

Saito took to the field that day wearing a striking crimson tracksuit. Leveraging his signature flexibility and unwavering balance, he flawlessly executed high-difficulty moves to claim the silver medal.

This gold medal in the event was claimed by China's Tongxin. Tongxin recorded an overwhelming score of 19.553 points, achieving a historic back-to-back Asian Games title following their victory at the 2022 Hangzhou Games.

The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) posted photos of Saito's warm-up routine on its official X (formerly Twitter) account after the match, congratulating him for winning his first medal in just his third Asian Games appearance.

Japanese netizens left various comments, including "I didn't know that Taegukgwon was an official sport," "The martial arts demonstration was dignified and very beautiful," and "It's a wonderful sport."

This Asian Games will feature a total of 43 sports, which is 11 more than the 32nd sports at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It has been noted that the inclusion of diverse non-Olympic sports such as Wushu, Kabaddi, and Sepak Takraw, which highlight Asian characteristics, has increased the viewing options for fans.

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*This content was translated by AI.