Shin Ji-eun wins South Korea's first Asian Games cycling medal
South Korean cyclist Shin Ji-eun won bronze in the women's individual road time trial at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya on Sunday, marking the country's first medal of the Games.
Results at the Shinshiro course
The race took place on the Shinshiro circuit in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Kazakhstan's Rinata Sultanova took gold, China's Zhang Hao won silver, and Shin Ji-eun of South Korea claimed bronze. According to Xinhua, the field also included riders from Macao, China (Au Hoi Ian) and Chinese Taipei (Zeng Ke-xin), though their final results were not specified in the available reports.
Context of the Games
The Asian Games officially opened on Saturday, September 19, and run through October 4. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, South Korea finished third overall with 42 gold, 59 silver and 89 bronze medals, sending a record delegation of 1,140 people, including 872 athletes. This year the country is aiming for another third-place overall finish, targeting 40 to 45 gold medals.
Also in cycling: Carapaz withdraws from Worlds
Separately, in an unrelated development in road cycling, Ecuador's Richard Carapaz, a former Olympic champion, announced a late withdrawal from the UCI Road World Championships, as reported by Cyclingnews. The 33-year-old had been set to start in next Sunday's elite men's road race, where he was considered a contender. The reason for his withdrawal was not given in the source.
