Cho, Kim become Games' first double gold medalists as canoe, gymnastics deliver back-to-back wins

South Korea claimed gold medals in canoe sprint and artistic gymnastics on Friday, extending the country's winning streak to two consecutive days in both sports. Canoeists Cho Gwang-hee and Kim Hyo-bin became the first South Korean athletes at this year's Games to win two gold medals.

The Cho-Kim pair won the men's kayak double (K2) 500m final at the Miyoshi Lake Canoe Course in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, clocking 1 minute 31.859 seconds. They edged Japan, which finished second in 1 minute 32.176 seconds, by 0.317 seconds.

The two paddlers had combined for South Korea's first-ever Asian Games gold medal in canoe on Thursday in the men's K4 500m. Adding another gold just one day later, they became the Games' first multi-gold South Korean athletes. South Korea had not won the men's K2 500m at the Asian Games since the 1990 Beijing Games, when Cheon In-sik and Park Cha-geun took the title — a 36-year wait.

In artistic gymnastics, 17-year-old Hwang Seo-hyeon claimed the women's balance beam title. Hwang scored 14.700 points in the final — combining a difficulty score of 6.600 and an execution score of 8.100 — to finish first among eight competitors. It was South Korea's first Asian Games gold in the women's balance beam since Seo Seon-aeng won at the 1986 Seoul Games, ending a 40-year drought. The title was South Korea's second gymnastics gold of the Games, following Yeo Seo-jeong's win on the women's vault on Thursday.

Silver medals came in several events. In the 10m air pistol mixed team shooting event, Chu Ga-eun and Hong Su-hyeon finished second with a combined score of 478.0 points across 48 shots in the final. India took gold with an Asian record of 484.6 points.

In equestrian dressage team, Nam Dong-heon, Kim Si-woo, Lee Myeong-seok and Do Hyeon-woo earned silver with a score of 205.265 points, behind China's 208.148. South Korea had failed to medal in the event at the previous Hangzhou Games.

Swimming team captain Lee Ju-ho finished second in the men's 200m backstroke final at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, clocking 1 minute 56.58 seconds. He was edged by Japan's Nishiono Kodai, who won in 1 minute 56.42 seconds, by 0.16 seconds. It was Lee's second consecutive silver in the event, following his runner-up finish at the Hangzhou Games. Combined with bronze medals in the 100m backstroke and 400m medley relay at this Games, Lee's career Asian Games medal tally grew to nine — three silver and six bronze.

The women's sepak takraw team lost 0-2 to Thailand in the team regu final, earning silver for the third consecutive Games.

Bronze medals also followed. In the men's 50m rifle three positions team shooting event, Jeong Seung-woo, Park Seong-hyeon and Kwon Hyeop-jun finished third with a combined score of 1,751 points, behind China (1,766) and India (1,762). The competition also served as the qualifying round for the individual event.

In the men's foil team fencing, Yun Jeong-hyeon, Lee Gwang-hyeon, Im Cheol-woo and Kim Tae-hwan lost 41-45 to Hong Kong in the semifinals and received bronze. Asian Games fencing does not hold a separate bronze-medal match — both semifinal losers are awarded bronze. The team had won back-to-back titles at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou Games and was chasing a third straight gold, but fell short of the final.

As of 6 p.m. Friday, South Korea stood third in the medal standings with 12 gold, 16 silver and 29 bronze medals. China led with 90 gold medals, followed by Japan with 23. Kazakhstan was fourth with eight gold medals.

Meanwhile, South Korea had won 787 gold medals at the Summer Asian Games heading into this year's edition. One more gold would bring the country's all-time Asian Games total to 800.