Taiwan has ended a 60-year wait for an Asian Games gold medal in men’s athletics, and it happened in dramatic fashion.
High jumper Fu Chao-hsuan cleared 2.25 meters in a rain-soaked final in Nagoya on Sunday to capture gold and deliver one of Taiwan’s most significant athletics victories in decades.
The 23-year-old matched his season-best mark, clearing 2.25 meters on his first attempt. India’s Sarvesh Kushare also cleared the height, but needed two attempts, giving Fu the advantage under the competition rules.
South Korea’s Woo Sang-hyeok claimed bronze after clearing 2.22 meters.
A Victory 60 Years in the Making
Fu’s triumph ended Taiwan’s longest recent wait in Asian Games athletics.
The last Taiwanese man to win an Asian Games athletics gold was Wu Ah-min, who captured the decathlon title at the 1966 Bangkok Asian Games.
Fu’s victory therefore marks Taiwan’s first men’s athletics gold at the Asian Games since that historic performance six decades ago.
It also marked Taiwan’s first Asian Games medal in the men’s high jump since Liao Hsueh-sung won bronze at the 1990 Beijing Games.
The Rain Couldn’t Stop the Historic Finish
The final was held under difficult, rainy conditions, but Fu matched his season-best height when the pressure was at its highest.
After both Fu and Kushare cleared 2.25 meters, neither managed to clear 2.28 meters after three attempts.
That left Fu at the top of the standings and secured the gold medal.
Fu said afterward that he had not expected to win.
He had initially thought he might finish third, or perhaps second if things went well. Instead, he walked away with the Asian Games title.
Family Support Behind the Breakthrough
Fu also highlighted the importance of his family and friends in helping him continue his development.
His mother traveled to Japan to watch him compete, marking the first time she had seen him compete in person at an international event.
Fu said having family in the stands helped him perform better, making the victory even more meaningful.
The win also comes after a period in which Fu said his progress sometimes felt slow as he watched teammates improve and establish national records while he struggled to make similar breakthroughs.
That persistence has now produced the biggest international result of his career.
A Major Financial Reward Awaits
Fu is set to receive NT$4.5 million under Taiwan’s National Glory Award system.
He is also due additional bonuses of NT$63,000 from Taiwan Olympic Committee President Tsai Chia-fu and NT$300,000 from Taiwan Athletics Association Chair Yeh Cheng-yen.
Rather than keeping the entire reward for himself, Fu said he plans to share a significant portion of the prize money with his family as thanks for their support.
More Than One Gold Medal
Fu’s victory is part of a strong showing by Taiwan at the 2026 Asian Games.
His high-jump title became Taiwan’s third gold medal at the Games, following gold-medal performances in other events earlier in the competition.
But the significance of Fu’s achievement goes beyond the medal count.
For Taiwanese athletics, a men’s gold medal had been absent from the Asian Games for six decades.
Now, after a rainy final and a career breakthrough, Fu Chao-hsuan has written his name into Taiwan’s Asian Games history — and the question is what this breakthrough could mean for the next generation of Taiwanese track and field athletes.
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