Desak Made Rita breaks Asian record to win gold at Asian Games 2026

How Desak Made Rita Navigated the Nagoya Course for Gold

The path to the podium demanded exceptional composure through rigorous technical rounds under a demanding four-lane format at the Nagoya venue. Competing in the women’s speed discipline, the Bali native fought through a competitive quarterfinal in the fourth heat before advancing cleanly through the semifinals. In the gold medal clash, she edged out China’s Li Juan Deng in a closely contested race decided by fractions of a second. South Korea’s Jeong Jimin secured the bronze medal.

The competition was briefly disrupted by technical adjustments to the timing systems and minor delays, testing the athletes’ mental focus after they had already warmed up. Reflecting on the challenging conditions, Desak Made Rita explained that she maintained her composure by focusing on her own climbing rather than dwelling on the stoppages. “I just tried to be sincere and accept it,” she said in comments released after the event. “Beforehand, I looked at the other participants’ times. They were good, with very small margins, so from the start, I just tried to climb with a clear mind.”

Ministerial Praise and the FPTI Development Pipeline

Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir praised the athlete’s consistency on the international stage and confirmed that the contingent had reached its primary objective for the Games. “Alhamdulillah, Indonesia has won gold again. This is Indonesia’s fourth gold medal at these Asian Games, simultaneously fulfilling the four-gold target we set,” Erick said, as cited by Kemenpora. He added that the performance showed the caliber of Indonesian athletes as national ambassadors competing at the highest level in Asia.

Erick also credited the Indonesian Sport Climbing Federation (FPTI) for maintaining a structured, long-term development program that bridges grassroots training with elite international competition. He noted that the success stems from a collective effort involving the athletes, coaching staff, national federations, and government backing.

Broader Medal Prospects and Remaining Events

With the initial four-gold benchmark successfully met, the Indonesian contingent’s campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games continues across multiple venues. Sports officials noted that remaining matches and upcoming categories—particularly the men’s speed events in sport climbing—offer further opportunities to add to the national medal count before the competition concludes.