Olympic medalists among Taiwan's delegation to 2026 Asian Games

Taipei, Sept. 6 (CNA) Taiwan will send 482 athletes, including several renowned Olympic medalists, to compete in 34 sports at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan's Aichi Prefecture later this month, according to the Ministry of Sports.

Some of the biggest names in the delegation include Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷), Taiwan's first Olympic boxing gold medalist; weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun (郭婞淳), an Olympic gold medalist; Olympic silver medalist judoka Yang Yung-wei (楊勇緯); and gymnast Lee Chih-kai (李智凱), the first Taiwanese athlete to win an Olympic medal in gymnastics.

At 45, sport shooter Lin Yi-chun (林怡君) is the oldest member of the Taiwanese delegation, according to the ministry. She will be representing Taiwan, competing under the name Chinese Taipei, at the Asian Games for the eighth time.

Gymnastics is the largest sport in the delegation, with 37 gymnasts competing, followed by esports, with 33 athletes, according to the ministry.

Most of the athletes competing at the Asian Games began training as early as August 2024, with intensive training sessions beginning in July this year.

Sports Minister Lee Yang (李洋) said at a press event last month that the delegation also includes 10 sports medicine physicians, as well as more than 100 athletic trainers and therapists, to provide better care for the athletes.

The 2026 Asian Games, also known as Aichi-Nagoya 2026, will be held from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4 at venues across Aichi Prefecture in Japan.

Taiwan's Chinese Taipei delegation won a record 19 gold medals at a single Asian Games on two occasions -- at the 1998 Bangkok Games and the most recent edition in Hangzhou, China, in 2022.

Taiwan finished sixth in the overall medal standings at both editions.

The Asian Games are the world's second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.