Jeus Yape Wins Virtual Taekwondo Gold, the Philippines’ Fourth
Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape won the mixed individual virtual taekwondo gold at the 2026 Asian Games on Friday, October 2, at Toyohashi Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan. It is the Philippines’ fourth gold of the Games.
The other side never scored
Yape beat Vietnam’s Chau Ngoc Tuyet Sang 2-0, taking the first round 500-0 and the second 620-0. He ended with 1,120 health points. His opponent ended with none. Over the match he recorded 21 kicks, five of them to the head, and five blocks.
A sport played in a headset
Virtual taekwondo is new at the Asian Games this year. Athletes wear VR headsets and motion-tracking sensors, and their movements drive avatars in a digital arena. There is no contact. That makes Yape the event’s first Asian Games champion.
One lost round on the way
To reach the final, Yape beat opponents from Saudi Arabia, Japan and Kazakhstan. The only round he dropped came in the Round of 16 against Saudi Arabia’s Dunya Saber, a match that went the full three rounds.
Two medals in two days
Yape, a 22-year-old University of Santo Tomas standout, took bronze in the men’s individual poomsae on Thursday with a score of 9.09. South Korea’s Yun Kyusung won that event with 9.38, and Thailand’s Navin Pinthasute was second with 9.28. His coach said Yape handled the pressure of the Asian stage well.
The team around him has been busy too. Juliana Candelaria, 18, won silver in the women’s individual poomsae on Thursday, and Tachiana Mangin and Kurt Barbosa each added a silver later on Friday.
Win the first round
After the final, Yape said his belief built as the matches went on, and that strong starts kept his confidence up. As long as he wins the first round, he knows he can do it.
Company at the top
Yape’s gold puts him with Carlos Yulo, who won men’s vault and floor exercise, and EJ Obiena, who won men’s pole vault. Four golds ties the Philippines’ total from the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
