The Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou came to an end last Sunday. Nearly 12,000 athletes from 45 nations and territories competed for 481 gold medals during the 16-day event. Beyond the established star athletes, a group of talented teenagers has emerged, leaving a mark on the international stage.
Here are 10 teen athletes who shone in the Asian Games. Here’s hoping that we see them soon in the 2024 Olympics!
Chen Ye, 15 (China)
Sport: Skateboarding
The 15-year-old made history as the youngest Chinese champion to win gold in the men’s skateboarding park finals. His astonishing victory marked the Chinese national team’s first gold in skateboarding at a major global competition.
Expressing his gratitude, the young athlete, whose father is a skateboarding coach, told the People’s Daily: “It is a real honour to become the champion.” Chen began his skateboarding journey at the age of eight and has set his sights on the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, “I will try to ‘fly’ higher in future training,” he promised.
Cui Chenxi, 13 (China)
Sport: Skateboarding
Despite only taking up the street sport during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, 13-year-old Cui became China’s youngest gold medallist in history at the Asian Games, winning the women’s street skateboarding competition. Standing just 1.52 metres tall, this teenage skateboarder impressed with her eye-catching performance, including a huge move off a high rail.
Reflecting on her achievement, the teen told Science and Technology Daily: “Before the competition, my family and coach told me to try my best. But I had my eye on the championship. I will work harder to get a seat at the Paris Olympics.”
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Esha Singh, 18 (India)
Sport: Shooting
Dubbed a shooting prodigy, 18-year-old Esha Singh secured four medals in the shooting category at the event, including one gold and three silvers, in both team and individual competitions.
Esha expressed her satisfaction with her performance with Indian monthly magazine Sportstar: “I was never targeting any medal, but the focus has always been on the process. It was great that everything fell in place.” The teen said she remained focused on earning a spot at the Paris Olympics next year.
Hinano Kusaki, 15 (Japan)
Sport: Skateboarding
With breathtaking tricks and spins, the 15-year-old skateboarder claimed victory in the women’s park final.
“I am glad I performed all the tricks. I’ll be very happy if I can show the joy of skateboarding through my runs,” the young medallist told Kyodo News, revealing that music plays a significant role in her success. “I listen to music not only to relieve tension during a competition but also to make myself believe I can land this trick if I listen to this particular music.”
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Muhammad Asnawi Iqbal bin Adam, 17 (Malaysia)
Sport: Sailing
Seventeen-year-old sailor Muhammad Asnawi Iqbal bin Adam brought home the bronze medal in the boys’ Dinghy ILCA 4 race at the Asian Games. While it was Malaysia’s first medal in the Hangzhou competition, the gold was won by South Korea’s Cho Won-woo, 28, while Thailand’s Natthaphong Phonoppharat, 35, secured second place.
Neha Thakur, 17 (India)
Sport: Sailing
Seventeen-year-old Neha Thakur secured a silver medal in the Girl’s Dinghy ILCA 4 event, which consisted of 11 races, marking India’s first-ever sailing medal at the Asian Games.
Despite her young age, the sailor has already made a name for herself at various competitions, winning one bronze and one gold at the Asian Sailing Championships in Abu Dhabi last year and reaching 6th place at the 2022 World Championships.
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Pan Zhanle, 19 (China)
Sport: Swimming
The 19-year-old swimming sensation raced to gold in the men’s 100-metre freestyle with a stunning record of 46.97 seconds at the Asian Games, the first Asian to break the 47-second mark. However, he has his sights set on an even greater goal – to break the world record of 46.86 seconds held by 19-year-old Romanian swimmer David Popovici.
Reflecting on his performance, Pan told the International Olympic Committee, “The Asian record does not feel like something extraordinary. It is something I should achieve ... Missing it [the world record] by 0.11 seconds is quite a pity. I personally do not think I did well enough.”
Palak Gulia, 17 (India)
Sport: Shooting
Indian teenager Palak Gulia, who started shooting in 2019, saw her dream come true when she secured one gold and one silver medal at the Games’ shooting competitions.
Palak expressed her excitement at making her country proud to the International Olympic Committee, saying, “The Olympics is the ultimate goal now. It’s time to step up and work hard.”
Puripol Boonson, 17 (Thailand)
Sport: Athletics
The 17-year-old sprinter won a silver medal in the men’s 100 metres in 10.02 seconds, coming after China’s Xie Zhenye, who clocked 9.97 seconds. The teen also shone at the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games last May, winning three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relays.
Coming in second at his first Asian Games, the athlete told the International Olympic Committee: “It was indeed hard because I am the youngest one in this competition. All the others have already participated in global competitions before. I’m very proud of being able to participate with all these great experienced runners.”
Zuo Tong, 17 (China)
Sport: Gymnastics
The 17-year-old athlete bagged a gold medal in the women’s all-around gymnastics title, successfully maintaining China’s perfect record in artistic gymnastics. The teen performed steadily throughout her routines on four apparatuses.
Zuo spoke to Xinhua News Agency after her victory, saying, “Being able to win the gold medal, I am obviously very thrilled. It has been a tough journey. I would like to thank everybody for their support.”
