Asiad: Jeus Yape shines in virtual taekwondo for PH’s fourth gold
The Philippines’ Jeus Yape in training. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News(UPDATED) The Philippines’ fourth gold in the 2026 Asian Games comes from one of the newer disciplines in the continental showcase.
Jeus Yape ruled the mixed individual virtual taekwondo event, Friday at the Toyohashi Gymnasium, after beating Vietnam’s Chau Ngoc Tuyet Sang in the final.
Yape dominated both rounds, 500-0, 620-0, for a sweep.
Virtual taekwondo is being contested as a medal sport for the first time in the Asiad.
Yape adds his gold in virtual taekwondo to the bronze that he won in the men’s individual poomsae on Thursday.
With his feat, the Philippines has matched its four-gold output from the 2018 Asiad in Jakarta and the 2022 Asiad in Hangzhou.
Yape had opened his virtual taekwondo campaign by surviving Saudi Arabia’s Dunya Bushuaib A Saber, 2-1, in the Round of 16.
He grew in strength from there, blanking hometown bet Hayate Suzuki of Japan in the quarterfinals, 2-0, before sweeping Kazakhstan’s Rita Bakisheva, 2-0, in the semifinals to punch his ticket to the championship round.
In his dominant win in the gold medal match, Yape amassed a staggering 1,120-0 advantage in total Remaining HP, overwhelming his Vietnamese rival with 21 total kicks, five head kicks, and five blocks.