'Absurd Disqualification → Dramatic Reversal': Men's 4x100m Relay Team Secures Valuable Bronze Medal with New Korean Record [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean men's 4x100m relay team secured a bronze medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. After an absurd disqualification ruling the previous day, they fought through appeals and petitions to barely survive, finally standing on the podium with a new Korean record.

The men's relay team, featuring Seo Min-jun (Seocheon County Office), Namadi Joeljin (Yecheon County Office), Lee Jae-seong (Gwangju City Hall, South Jeolla Province), and Bwesa Daniel Kasama (Ansan City Office), ran a time of 38.43 seconds in the men's 400m (4x100m) final held at Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, on the 28th. They finished third behind China (38.17) and Chinese Taipei (38.32). Thailand followed with 38.49, and Japan with 38.57.

The record of 38.43 set today is a new Korean record, shaving 0.06 seconds off the previous Korean record of 38.49 set by Seo Min-jun, Namadi Joeljin, Lee Jae-seong, and Lee Jun-hyuk at the Asian Athletics Championships last May. Furthermore, they succeeded in winning medals for two consecutive Asian Games, following their achievement at the 2022 Hangzhou (China) Games held in 2023. However, the challenge to achieve the best historical result (gold medal) was deferred to a future opportunity.

It was significant that after almost not being able to compete in the relay final, they not only won a medal but also set a new Korean record.

The South Korean team received a disqualification (DQ) ruling in the preliminary heat 2 the previous day for stepping out of the baton exchange zone while exchanging the baton between Kim Si-on (Korea Army COLONY) and Namadi Joeljin. For a relay team aiming to challenge for the best historical result beyond just a bronze medal, this was truly a shocking ruling.

Consequently, after their first appeal was rejected, the Korean Athletics Federation immediately proceeded with a second petition, requesting a detailed review and overturning of the ruling. The judging panel later admitted the error and reversed the decision, resulting in a dramatic revival. The athletics team, which made it to the final stage amidst this dramatic reversal, stood on the podium with a valuable bronze medal.

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*This content was translated by AI.