Kristina Morozova wins Asian Games silver in race walking
Kazakhstan race walker Kristina Morozova won silver in the women’s half marathon race walk at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, finishing in 1:35:25.
Kazakhstan’s Kristina Morozova claimed silver in the women’s half marathon race walk at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on 23 September 2026. She finished in 1:35:25, just one second ahead of China’s Jiang Yunyan in the contest for second place.
Silver decided by one second
China’s Yang Liujing won the race in 1:33:40. Morozova followed in 1:35:25, while Jiang Yunyan took bronze in 1:35:26, leaving only one second between the silver and bronze medallists.
Speaking after the race, Morozova described the competition as challenging and explained that maintaining the tempo needed to stay with the Chinese athletes demanded complete focus.
- Gold: Yang Liujing, China — 1:33:40
- Silver: Kristina Morozova, Kazakhstan — 1:35:25
- Bronze: Jiang Yunyan, China — 1:35:26
A faster half-marathon mark for Morozova
Before the Asian Games, World Athletics listed Morozova’s best for the half marathon race walk as 1:37:20, recorded at the Poděbrady Walking meeting on 8 May 2026. Her performance in Japan improved that mark by 1 minute 55 seconds.
The 1:35:25 result has been reported as a new Kazakhstan record for the distance. At the time of drafting, the international athlete profile had not yet been updated, so the record remains subject to official ratification.
A historic Asian Games result for Kazakhstan
Morozova became the first Kazakhstan woman to win an Asian Games silver medal in race walking. She is also the country’s second female race walker to reach the Asian Games podium.
Svetlana Tolstaya previously won bronze for Kazakhstan in the women’s 10 km walk at Bangkok 1998 and in the 20 km walk at Busan 2002. Morozova’s result is therefore the highest Asian Games finish achieved by a Kazakhstan woman in the discipline.
Elmira Kalimullina finishes sixth
Kazakhstan was also represented by Elmira Kalimullina, who completed the half marathon race walk in 1:43:21 and finished sixth.
The two performances gave Kazakhstan a strong start to the athletics programme at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
TravelSport congratulates Kristina Morozova
TravelSport congratulates Kristina Morozova, her coaches and the Kazakhstan national team on the silver medal and an outstanding performance in Japan.
A medal decided by a single second reflects the concentration and determination required at the highest level of international competition.