China topped the gold medal table at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 169 golds and 341 total medals, marking its 12th consecutive continental dominance. Despite the record-breaking overseas haul, Chinese sports officials expressed introspection regarding traditional stronghold disciplines, immediately shifting focus toward preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics.
China reaffirmed its continental dominance by securing 169 gold, 89 silver, and 83 bronze medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, marking the delegation’s best-ever performance at an overseas Asiad and its 12th consecutive top finish on the medals table since 1982. The continental powerhouse mined so much gold that even if the next four nations on the standings combined their gold counts, China would still hold five more titles according to detailed medal analysis.
Yet, beneath the overwhelming medal count, the delegation’s leadership pointed to noticeable shortcomings in events where Chinese athletes have historically excelled.
Gao Zhidan Addresses Shortcomings in Traditional Strongholds
China’s overall medal production fell 42 medals short of the 383 total collected at the Hangzhou Asian Games, while the gold count dropped by 32 compared to the previous home benchmark. Across the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, the continental giants also fell 32 gold medals short of their previous benchmark, while their medals came in 47 sports compared to 57 different disciplines in Hangzhou.
Midway through the two-week event, one American press outlet half-jokingly suggested changing the name to the China Games as the delegation rapidly accumulated gold medals. Despite the eventual haul of 341 total medals, Gao Zhidan, the team’s chef de mission in Japan and president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, was obliged to address disappointing performances in disciplines traditionally dominated by Chinese athletes, specifically highlighting table tennis, badminton, and weightlifting.
Youth Rises as Zhang Zhanshuo and Yu Zidi Lead Record-Breaking Performances
Swimming proved to be a major highlight, with Chinese swimmers capturing 30 gold medals, 13 silver, and 11 bronze medals for their best-ever haul at the Games, alongside sweeping all seven relay titles for the first time while setting five Asian records and 17 Games records. The delegation relied heavily on a new generation of competitors, with 548 of China’s 815 athletes making their Asiad debuts and more than a quarter born in 2005 or later while roughly two-thirds of the roster experienced the continental games for the first time.
“17-year-old Chen Yujie became Asia’s youngest women’s 100m champion, while 18-year-old Yan Ziyi won javelin gold with a single throw. 14-year-old Yu Zidi claimed three swimming golds, each breaking an Asian or Games record, and 19-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo equaled the Games record for individual gold medals at a single edition with seven swimming titles.”
Zhang Xin, secretary-general of the Chinese delegation, via Xinhua
Zhang Zhanshuo’s celebration of counting his seven gold titles on his fingers became one of the defining images of the pool competitions while young swimmers like Yu Zidi secured multiple victories in butterfly and individual medley events.
Host Japan Celebrates Surge in Athletics and Fencing
While China led the standings, host nation Japan enjoyed a celebratory campaign, finishing second on the table while dramatically increasing its gold production by 31 titles to reach 83 golds out of 269 total medals, compared to 52 golds and 188 total medals in Hangzhou. Japan’s primary gains came in athletics, where the host team surged from two gold medals in Hangzhou to 10 in Nagoya, alongside notable improvements in fencing, judo, wrestling, and swimming.
Satoshi Murate, the organizing committee general secretary, publicly apologized for lodging and transport glitches after organizers opted against building a dedicated athletes village to contain spending, housing participants instead on a cruise ship, in hotels, and inside temporary wood huts.
Delegation Shifts Focus to Los Angeles 2028 Preparations
Reflecting on the continental competition, delegation officials emphasized that the primary objective of testing athletes and identifying weaknesses had been successfully accomplished with a clear eye on the upcoming Olympic cycle. Zhang Xin noted that compound archery successes and improvements in triathlon, equestrian dressage, and road cycling demonstrated strategic progress in events aligned with the Olympic program, while noting that the delegation achieved its goals of testing the team, discovering new talent, identifying problems, and conducting comprehensive training.
“After the Nagoya Asian Games, we will immediately shift to preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics, accelerate efforts to address our weaknesses, comprehensively improve our competitive level, and go all out to meet the challenge of the Los Angeles Olympics.”
Zhang Xin, secretary-general of the Chinese delegation, via Xinhua
Zhang Xin noted that compound archery successes and improvements in triathlon, equestrian dressage, and road cycling demonstrated strategic progress in events aligned with the Olympic program.
