Alexey Lutsenko Makes Asian Games History With Sixth Gold

Kazakhstani cyclist Alexey Lutsenko won the men’s road race at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, becoming his country’s most successful athlete in Asian Games history. The victory gave the 34-year-old his sixth Asian Games gold medal as he prepares to end his professional career. On September 23, Lutsenko completed the 160.5-kilometer race in 4 hours, 13 minutes, and 11 seconds. His teammate Yevgeniy Fedorov finished second, 1 minute and 58 seconds behind. Another Kazakhstani rider, Nicolas Vinokurov, the son of Olympic champion Alexander Vinokurov, helped control the race for the team and finished seventh. His second gold at the current Games came on September 20, when he won the individual time trial for the fourth consecutive Games, a discipline in which riders race individually against the clock. Lutsenko covered the 32.4-kilometer course in 41 minutes, 24.05 seconds, beating silver medalist Shunsuke Imamura of Japan by more than a minute and a half. Before the Games in Japan, Lutsenko had won four Asian Games gold medals. He won the individual time trial in 2014, 2018, and 2022, and also took gold in the road race in Jakarta in 2018. His fifth gold brought him level with Kazakhstan’s previous record holder, canoeist Konstantin Negodyayev, who won three titles at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima and two more at the 1998 Games in Bangkok. His sixth victory put Lutsenko alone at the top. “I did my job,” Lutsenko said after the race. “The Asian Games, like the Olympics, take place once every four years. As a national team athlete, I prepared responsibly for these events and didn’t think about any records. I did my maximum and brought a medal to the country. That is what matters most. I’m not such a young rider anymore, because cycling is now increasingly focused on youth. A new generation is coming through. But I’m glad they believed in me, gave me a chance, and I fully justified their trust.” Lutsenko plans to retire in the near future. He said he had made the decision at the end of last year. “Time passes. Cycling is changing. Young riders are coming through and producing strong results from an early age. I have done my maximum. Six Asian Games gold medals, stage wins at the biggest Grand Tours. I am proud of what I have done over 15 years in professional sport. Now I have won two gold medals. And this is the best moment to end my career in the near future,” he said. During his professional career, Lutsenko has won stages at two of cycling’s three Grand Tours, the sport’s most prestigious stage races: the Vuelta a España in 2017 and the Tour de France in 2020. By the evening of September 23, Kazakhstan was fourth in the medal standings with seven gold, four silver, and eight bronze medals, behind China, Japan, and South Korea. All five Central Asian countries had won medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Tajikistan had won two gold medals and Uzbekistan...

Kazakhstan’s MMA Gold Medalist Comforts Tajik Opponent at Asian Games

A mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Kazakhstan embraced and comforted his distressed Tajik opponent after defeating him to win gold at the Asian Games in Japan. It was one of the more striking scenes so far at the Games, which began on September 19 and run until October 4. China was at the top of the medal standings with 78 medals, including 48 golds, on Wednesday. Japan and South Korea were in second and third place, respectively. Kazakhstan was fourth with 19 medals, including seven golds. Kadyrbek Shynbayev, a 22-year-old MMA fighter from Kazakhstan, won Tuesday’s final in the up-to-71-kilogram weight category, beating 25-year-old Behruz Khurshedzoda of Tajikistan by a 3-0 judges’ decision. The fighters were competing in the “modern” variant of the combat sport, in which they wear shorts and a rash guard, or tight athletic shirt, instead of the traditional gi, which consists of a jacket, pants, and a belt. Shynbayev let out a roar of triumph after the result was announced, and his team celebrated on the sidelines. He paraded for a moment with a national flag wrapped around his shoulders, but then noticed Khurshedzoda on his knees on the competition mat, visibly overcome by his loss. Shynbayev, in blue, approached his red-clad adversary and embraced him. Still wearing their bulky gloves, the two men talked. Khurshedzoda tapped his own head with his glove. Then the pair stood up together and hugged one more time as videographers and photographers recorded the scene at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center. The Sports.kz news portal described Shynbayev’s actions as a “beautiful gesture” and posted a video of the scene on Instagram. Kazakhstan’s Jibek Joly TV showed Shynbayev and other medal winners being welcomed at Almaty airport after returning from the Asian Games. Shynbayev also won the Asian MMA Championship title in January. At that time, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense identified him as a military private. Tajik media, including the state-run Khovar news agency, reported on Khurshedzoda’s contested road to the final in Japan. In the semifinal, judges awarded victory to his opponent, Yryskeldi Duisheev of Kyrgyzstan, but Tajikistan’s delegation appealed, and the decision was reversed in Khurshedzoda’s favor. Duisheev received a bronze medal. MMA includes striking, grappling, throwing, and submission techniques. The sport made its debut at the 2026 Asian Games, which are being held across Aichi Prefecture, including Nagoya. The Asian Games are held every four years.