Kazakhstan records 84-medal haul and historic achievements at Asian Games

At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Kazakhstan finished 11th. The latest result represents a three-place improvement, along with an increase in the number of gold medals. The team also achieved several historic results in Olympic disciplines.

One of the highlights was Kazakhstan’s return to the top of the Asian Games boxing podium after a 12-year break. The country last won boxing gold at the Asian Games in 2014, while no gold medals were secured at the following two editions. In Japan, Torekhan Sabyrkhan won the men’s 70kg title, while national team captain Aibek Oralbay triumphed in the over 90kg category.

Historic gold for Kazakhstani fencers

Kazakhstan’s men’s épée team won the country’s first-ever Asian Games gold in fencing. In the final, the Kazakhstani team defeated South Korea 43-42. The Korean lineup included Park Sang-young, the Rio 2016 Olympic champion in individual épée.

The victory capped a historic season for the Kazakhstani team, which also won the Asian Championships and became world champions for the first time before claiming Asian Games gold. No team had previously achieved all three titles in a single season.

Vladislav Yakovlev and Ivan Chernukhin won Kazakhstan’s first-ever Asian Games gold in rowing, triumphing in the men’s pair coxless event. Tamirlan Tleules also made history by winning Kazakhstan’s first Asian Games gold in taekwondo, taking the men’s 58kg title.

Cyclist Alexey Lutsenko further strengthened his record by taking his sixth Asian Games gold medal, becoming Kazakhstan’s most decorated athlete in terms of Asian Games victories. Rinata Sultanova became the first Kazakhstani woman to win Asian Games gold in the individual cycling time trial.

Kazakhstan also claimed two karate gold medals through Zholaman Bigabyl and Sofya Berultseva. For Berultseva, it was her second Asian Games title.

In the Asian Games’ inaugural mixed martial arts tournament, Kazakhstan immediately emerged among the leading nations, with Yerkingali Burkutalin and Kadyrbek Shynbayev winning gold, while Sanzhar Adilov took bronze.

Strong performance in judo

Kazakhstan’s judo team reached four individual finals for the first time at the Asian Games. Yeldos Smetov, Abiba Abuzhakynova, Adilet Almat and Azhar Askhat won silver medals, all losing their finals to Japanese opponents.

Kazakhstan added another silver in the mixed team event. In all five judo finals involving Kazakhstani athletes, the opponents were representatives of Japan.

In artistic gymnastics, Milad Karimi won silver in the floor exercise, bringing Kazakhstan back onto the Asian Games podium in the discipline for the first time in 32 years.

Kazakhstan’s wrestlers also showed progress. The men’s freestyle team won three bronze medals after failing to win a medal at the 2023 Asian Games. The women’s team improved its tally as well, earning one silver and two bronze medals, compared with one silver in Hangzhou.