Korea's Jang Jun, right, competes against Mahdi Hajimousaeinafouti of Iran in the men's -58kg taekwondo at Lin'an Sports Culture and Exhibition Centre in Hangzhou, China, during the 19th Asian Games, Sept. 25. Yonhap
Jang Jun claimed the gold medal in his first Asiad taekwondo appearance, winning the men's -58kg title at the 19th Asian Games in China, Monday.
He defeated Mahdi Hajimousaeinafouti of Iran 2-0 in the gold medal match for the men's -58kg competition at Lin'an Sports Culture and Exhibition Centre in the host city of Hangzhou.
The victory brought Jang the first Asiad medal and South Korea the third gold from the Korean martial art following two in the poomsae event held on the previous day.
The 23-year taekwondo athlete is a strong gold medal contender in the flyweight -58kg discipline in Hangzhou for his outstanding performances in recent years.
He won bronze in the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021 and finished second in the 2022 world championships.
Jang demonstrated his world-class competence at the Asian Games, never losing a round in four matches, including the final that he has participated in.
In the final, he won the first round 5-4 thanks to a three-point kick to the head. In the second round, Jang was down 1-4 after losing three straight points to Hajimousaeinafouti. But he kicked the opponent's head to earn three points with four seconds remaining to tie at 4-4. (Yonhap)
Jang Jun holds his gold medal during the medal ceremony for the men's -58kg taekwondo at Lin'an Sports Culture and Exhibition Centre in Hangzhou, China, during the 19th Asian Games, Sept. 25. Yonhap
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