'A remarkable reduction of 4.21 seconds!' Korean mixed relay sets new history... National record improved to 3:18.66, finishing 6th in the end [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean 4×400m mixed relay national team delivered a stunning performance at the Asian Games, shaving more than four seconds off the previous Korean record. Although they did not reach the medal podium, it was a meaningful race that showcased the potential of Korean athletics.

The South Korean team, consisting of Jang Min-ho (29·Anyang City Hall), Kim Seo-yoon (23·Changwon City Hall), Shin Min-gyu (26·Seoul Metropolitan Government), and Lee Ah-young (29·Gwangyang City Hall), set a new Korean record of 3:18.66 in the preliminary heats of the 4th×400m mixed relay at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 24th at Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya, Japan.

The previous record was 3:22.87, set by Shin Min-gyu, Kim Seo-yoon, Joo Seung-kyun, and Kim Ju-ha at the Asian Athletics Championships held in Gumi last May. The team reduced the record by a remarkable 4.21 seconds in just over a year. At that time, South Korea finished fifth at the Asian Championships.

In the preliminary heats, South Korea advanced to the final as fourth place in Group 2, behind China, India, and the United Arab Emirates. In the overall standings, they secured eighth place, qualifying for the finals which are open to the top eight nations. The first place in all preliminaries was Bahrain with a time of 3:15.73.

In the final held on the same day, South Korea continued its strong performance, finishing sixth overall with a time of 3:19.18. Although they fell short of their own record by 0.52 seconds, it was still more than three seconds faster than the previous Korean record.

It was a significant result despite no medals. The mixed 4×400m relay is an event where two men and two women form a team, each running 400 meters. By leveraging the coordination of top-tier male and female 400m sprinters, South Korea dramatically improved its record in an international multi-sport event, confirming its competitiveness.

In the preliminary heats for both men's and women's 100m, all four participating athletes advanced to the semifinals with a strong start. On the 24th, in the men's 100m preliminaries, Namadi Joeljin (20·Yecheon County Hall) and Biwesa Daniel Gasama (23·Ansan City Hall) both recorded 10.23 seconds, advancing to the semifinals. Joeljin finished first in his heat, while Gasama came second. In the women's event, Kim Ju-ha (25·Siheung City Hall) ran 11.73 seconds and Seo Ji-hyun (32·Jincheon County Hall) ran 11.83 seconds, both setting personal bests to secure their spots in the semifinals.

The atmosphere for Korean athletics is also positive. On the first day of the competition, Choi Byung-kwang (35·Samsung Electronics) won a bronze medal in the men's race walk, securing South Korea's first medal of the tournament. As of the 24th, there is only one bronze medal, but personal bests continue to be set in both men's and women's sprints, and a new Korean record was established in the mixed relay, boosting morale.

Meanwhile, in the women's 10,000m, Jo Ha-rim (30·Mungyeong City Hall), who holds the Korean record in the 3000m steeplechase, finished eighth with a time of 34:34.66. Jo Ha-rim will challenge for another medal on the 27th in her specialty event, the 3000m steeplechase.

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*This content was translated by AI.