Victory in the 500-metre race in Indonesia comes a day after the combined women’s team won bronze in another event.
A unified Korean team has made sporting history after winning the first place in the 500-metre women’s dragon boat final in the Asian Games currently held in Indonesia.
It was the first gold medal by a combined Koreas team at a major multi-sport event.
The victory on Sunday came a day after the paddlers delivered the historic first medal for a unified Koreas team by taking bronze in the women’s 200-metre dragon boat competition.
The gold was awarded to Korea, the name for the joint teams that are entered in rowing, canoeing and women’s basketball rather than being added to the tally of either North or South Korea.
The celebrations started as soon as the dragon-headed boat with its 10 paddlers, its drummer and its sweep crossed the line.
The Koreans hugged on the boat and on the banks along the course following their victory.
At the awarding ceremony, the crew members were in tears as they received their gold medals.
South Korean news agency Yonhap quoted Kim Kwang-chol, a North Korean coach, as saying he “felt the strength of a unified nation when we came together, dedicated our minds to a single purpose, and paddled the boat forward”.
In a post on social media, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he was “very proud” of the team and that “young athletes who were pouring sweat training at Han River (South Korea) and young athletes who were dreaming about a gold medal while training at Taedong River (North Korea) came together to give joy to the entire Korean Peninsula”.
