ASTANA – Kazakhstan finished the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with 84 medals, 12 gold, 24 silver and 48 bronze, placing eighth in the overall medal standings, as the continental competition concluded Oct. 4.
The official closing ceremony of the 20th Asian Games was held on Oct. 4 at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan. Photo credit: Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
The result marks an improvement from the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, where Kazakhstan finished 11th with 80 medals, including 10 gold. The 84-medal haul also matches the country’s result at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, while the national record remains 85 medals won at the 2006 Games in Doha.
Beyond the overall tally, the Aichi-Nagoya games produced several historic results for Kazakhstan, including the country’s first Asian Games gold in taekwondo and rowing, its first medals in several individual and team events, and a new world record in weightlifting.
Historic golds and new milestones
Cyclist Alexey Lutsenko emerged as one of Kazakhstan’s most successful athletes at the games. He won both the individual time trial and road race, taking his total number of Asian Games gold medals to six. He became the country’s most decorated athlete in terms of gold medals at the games, surpassing the previous record of five held by canoeist Konstantin Negodyayev.
Kazakhstan also secured historic gold medals in several sports. Vladislav Yakovlev and Ivan Chernukhin won the men’s coxless pair in rowing, giving the country its first-ever Asian Games gold in the discipline. The men’s épée team of Ruslan Kurbanov, Kirill Prokhodov, Yerlik Sertai and Vadim Sharlaimov also claimed gold, ending a 24-year wait since Kazakhstan last won the team event in 2002.
In boxing, Torekhan Sabyrkhan and Aibek Oralbay won gold in their respective weight categories, ending Kazakhstan’s 12-year wait for an Asian Games boxing title. Tamirlan Tleules added another historic victory by becoming the first Kazakh athlete to win Asian Games gold in taekwondo.
Karate also brought two gold medals, with Zholaman Bigabyl winning in the up-to-55 kilogram category and Sofia Berultseva successfully defending her title in the over-68 kilogram division.
The debut of mixed martial arts on the Asian Games program proved particularly successful for Kazakhstan, producing two gold medals. Yerkingali Burkatalin won in traditional MMA, while Kadyrbek Shynbayev took the modern MMA title.
World record and first-ever medals
Kazakhstan’s medal tally was also marked by a world record. Weightlifter Alexey Churkin lifted 173 kilograms in the snatch in the up-to-85 kilogram category, setting a new world record and improving the previous mark by one kilogram. He finished the competition with silver after recording 378 kilograms in total.
Several athletes and teams also secured Kazakhstan’s first-ever Asian Games medals in their events. Artem Sarkisyan won bronze in the individual men’s sabre, while the women’s épée team claimed its first Asian Games medal in the discipline.
In shooting, Daniil Pochivalov, Alisher Aysalbayev and Mark Pochivalov won bronze in the men’s team trap, marking Kazakhstan’s first medal in the event at the Asian Games. Sport climber Damir Toktarov also made history by becoming Kazakhstan’s first Asian Games medalist in the sport.
Tennis player Yulia Putintseva reached the women’s singles semifinals to claim bronze, becoming the first Kazakh woman to win an Asian Games singles medal. She later added another bronze alongside Anna Danilina in the doubles competition.
Strong performances across established sports
Judo and wrestling were Kazakhstan’s most productive sports, with seven medals each. Kazakhstan’s judokas collected five silver and two bronze medals, while the wrestling team finished with one silver and six bronze medals.
Canoe and kayak athletes added six medals, while fencing, boxing and jiu-jitsu each contributed five. Among the athletes returning to the Asian Games podium were Yeldos Smetov, who won silver 12 years after claiming gold in Incheon, and Abiba Abuzhakynova, who secured her second consecutive Asian Games silver in the up-to-48 kilogram judo category.
China tops medal standings
China topped the overall medal table with 169 gold, 89 silver and 83 bronze medals. Japan finished second with 83 gold, 95 silver and 91 bronze, while South Korea took third with 39 gold, 43 silver and 68 bronze.
Kazakhstan’s delegation consisted of 558 athletes competing in 35 sports. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games marked the third time Japan hosted the continental games, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.
The next Asian Games will be held in Doha, Qatar, from Nov. 4–19, 2030.
