The curtain has come down on the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, and the final medal table looks familiar at the top: China finished first for a record-extending run, with 169 gold medals and 341 in total. Hosts Japan were a clear second, while a wave of teenage talent gave the two weeks their defining moments.
Final medal table — top six
- China: 169 gold, 89 silver, 83 bronze — 341 total
- Japan: 83 gold, 95 silver, 91 bronze — 269 total
- South Korea: 39 gold — 150 total
- India: 21 gold — 85 total
- Uzbekistan: 21 gold — 70 total
- Iran: 19 gold — 52 total
The stars of Aichi-Nagoya
Yu Zidi, China
Aged just 13, Yu won three individual swimming titles, each in an Asian Games record, and was named the Games’ female MVP — an extraordinary arrival on the international stage.
Puripol Boonson, Thailand
The 20-year-old sprinter completed the 100m and 200m double and was voted male MVP, cementing his status as Southeast Asia’s fastest man.
Zhang Zhanshuo, China
The 19-year-old collected seven swimming gold medals, including a Games record in the 400m freestyle.
Shin Ohashi, Japan
The 17-year-old thrilled home fans by setting a world record of 2:04.83 in the men’s 200m breaststroke.
Winfred Yavi, Bahrain
Yavi completed a distance treble — 3000m steeplechase, 5000m and 10,000m — never before achieved at the Asian Games.
Ri Song-gum, DPR Korea
The weightlifter won her third consecutive Asian Games title in the women’s 49kg category.
These Games will be remembered for youth: athletes barely out of school setting records that will stand for years.
Numbers that tell the story
Across 43 sports and 469 medal events, 40 of the 45 participating national Olympic committees won at least one medal — a sign of growing depth across the continent. India’s late surge of golds lifted it into fourth place, while Uzbekistan continued its rise as a combat-sports and athletics force.
Looking ahead
For many of these athletes, attention now turns to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where the medal races will be far tougher but the momentum from Aichi-Nagoya will count. Explore more in our Sports section.