S. Korea's Kim Young-chan wins bronze in Gran Turismo 7, 1st esports medal at 2026 Asian Games
Summary
South Korean gamer and racer Kim Young-chan won bronze in Gran Turismo 7 at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Tokoname, Japan, on Wednesday. His finish gave South Korea its first esports medal at this year’s competition. Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira of Malaysia won gold, and Naif Abdulhakim S Alfaleh of Saudi Arabia took silver. The Gran Turismo 7 final featured eight players racing three rounds on different circuits using different cars.
Key Facts
- Kim Young-chan finished third in the Gran Turismo 7 final at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, about 35 kilometers south of Nagoya.
- South Korea’s bronze was its first medal in esports at the 2026 Asian Games.
- The esports program at this year’s Asian Games includes 11 gaming events, among them Gran Turismo 7 and League of Legends.
- In the final, Kim started from pole in the first race after finishing first in the semifinals, but he crashed into a wall on the third lap and finished sixth.
- In the second race, Kim started sixth, moved up to third on the sixth lap, and eventually took the checkered flag.
South Korean gamer and racer Kim Young-chan plays Gran Turismo 7 during the final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Wednesday. Yonhap
TOKONAME, Japan — South Korean gamer and racer Kim Young-chan won the bronze medal in Gran Turismo 7, the auto racing game contest, at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday, bringing home South Korea's first esports medal at this year's competition.
Kim finished third in the final of the Gran Turismo 7 esports event at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, some 35 kilometers south of the main host city of Nagoya, Japan.
Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira of Malaysia won the gold, and Naif Abdulhakim S Alfaleh of Saudi Arabia grabbed the silver.
Kim's bronze is South Korea's first medal in esports, which features 11 gaming events, including Gran Turismo 7 and League of Legends (LoL), at this year's Asian Games.
In the Gran Turismo 7 final, eight players raced in three rounds on different circuits using different cars.
Kim took pole position for the first race after finishing first in the semifinals but finished sixth after crashing into a wall on the third lap.
In the second race, Kim started sixth but moved up to third on the sixth lap and eventually took the checkered flag.
Right after the third race started, Kim dropped to third and could not close the gap with leader Taj Madira.
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