Taiwan ties with Croatia in gold medal haul at Australia Judo event

Taipei, Nov. 1 (CNA) Taiwan has tied with Croatia in terms of gold medals at the 2025 Judo Oceania Open Gold Coast after Taiwanese judokas Yang Yung-wei (楊勇緯) and Lin Chen-hao (林真豪) on Saturday took top spots in the men's and women's extra-lightweight events, respectively.

As of press time on Saturday, Taiwan and Croatia had both won two individual gold medals, with Taiwan also securing three bronze medals and Croatia winning a silver and a bronze.

The gold medal for the under-60-kilogram men's extra-lightweight event was won by 28-year-old Yang who defeated Maxime Merlin of France.

Yang, who is currently ranked world No. 9 in the discipline, became a media sensation in Taiwan when he won the country's first-ever Olympic judo silver medal in Tokyo in 2020, with local media giving him the moniker "judo heartthrob" for his looks and athletic prowess.

Meanwhile, Lin bagged the gold medal for the under-48-kg women's extra-lightweight event after she beat Maria Celia Laborde of the United States.

Lin, who is also 28, is currently ranked world No. 28.

The 2025 Judo Oceania Open Gold Coast is being held from Saturday to Sunday at the Carrara Indoor Stadium in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

The competition is part of the International Judo Federation (IJF) World Tour, with the medals listed by the federation as equivalent to a Grand Prix victory.