(Asiad) Jun Woong-tae advances to modern pentathlon final, eyes 3rd straight Asiad gold
NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Jun Woong-tae advanced to the final in men's modern pentathlon at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday, paving the way for his third straight Asiad gold medal in the five-event sport.
Jun scored 1,529 points to finish third in Group B in the semifinals after competing in five events -- fencing, swimming, obstacle course racing and laser run, a combination of running and shooting -- at Anjo Sports Park in Anjo, just southeast of the main host city of Nagoya, Japan.
A total of 36 modern pentathletes were divided into two groups for the semifinals, with the top nine athletes in each group advancing to the final, scheduled for Sunday.
Jun is aiming to claim his third Asian Games title in the sport, following gold medals at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games.
South Korea's Jun Woong-tae performs during obstacle course racing in the semifinals of men's modern pentathlon at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Anjo Sports Park in Anjo, just southeast of the main host city of Nagoya, on Sept. 18, 2026. (Yonhap)
His teammate Seo Chang-wan, who finished third in this year's world championships, topped Group A with 1,547 points.
Lee Jong-hyeon finished runner-up in Group A with 1,533 points and advanced to the final, while Kim Young-ha also joined the final after ranking sixth in Group B.
On the women's side, four South Korean modern pentathletes, including former world champion Seong Seung-min, already secured berths in the final Sunday.
They will also compete in the team event, where the scores of the top three athletes from each country in the individual competition will determine the medals.
South Korea won two gold medals in the previous Hangzhou Asian Games, with Jun winning both the individual and team events.
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