"AG's first-ever women's singles badminton double title" An Se-young shares her thoughts: "I was overwhelmed the moment it ended; my next goal is to win the next tournament" [On-site in Ichinomiya]

*This content was translated by AI.

An Se-young (Samsung Life), the "world's strongest" player who achieved the historic feat of becoming the first to win back-to-back gold medals in women's singles badminton at the Asian Games, revealed her thoughts, stating that while she "didn't think about (the record of being the first to achieve a double title)," she was "overwhelmed immediately after it ended."

Speaking to reporters after crushing Japan's Yamaguchi Akane 2-0 (21-17, 21-9) in the women's singles badminton final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games held on the 29th at Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, An Se-young said, "I approached the match with only the thought that it would be good to win," adding this.

World No. 1 An Se-young demonstrated superior skill against No. 3 Yamaguchi on the day, standing firmly at the top. While she put up a fairly fierce fight in the first game, she secured the lead early in the second game. Ultimately, she concluded the final stage in just 52 minutes to secure the gold medal.

With this victory, An Se-young achieved a double title in women's singles badminton, following the 2022 Hangzhou Games held in 2023. Badminton was first adopted as an official Asian Games event at the 1962 Jakarta (Indonesia) Games, and An Se-young is the first in history to win back-to-back golds in women's singles. In particular, while she had reached the top after a fierce battle at the previous Hangzhou Games, this time she concluded the match with a decisive victory.

An Se-young reflected, saying, "It was a match where I had many concerns. Player Yamaguchi has excellent defense and is also a fast runner, so I had a lot to think about." She added, "Because I made many mistakes while worrying about what shot to play, I decided to make quick choices as I progressed through the match, and it unfolded well."

She continued, "(Compared to the final three years ago) things have changed a lot. Because that match happened, I think I was able to grow like this again. I am truly grateful for those processes. It seems they made me who I am today, so I was very thankful."

In response to a question about the significance of the gold medal at this tournament, which reconfirmed her position as the absolute No. 1, she said, "I think it is just one part of the process."

An Se-young added, "I will participate in many tournaments from now on, and no one knows how much I will grow. That is what I look forward to more. If I do not focus in upcoming tournaments, I could also fall. I intend to be faithful to the present and do my best. My next goal is 'winning the next tournament.'"

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*This content was translated by AI.