Rinata Sultanova added Asian Games gold to an already successful season after winning the individual time trial at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 for Kazakhstan.
The UAE Team L’IMAD Development Team rider completed the 24.4-kilometre course in Shinshiro in 36:23, averaging 40.225 km/h to secure victory by just four seconds.
China’s Hao Zhang finished second to take silver, while South Korea’s Jieun Shin claimed bronze, finishing 32 seconds behind Sultanova.
The result marks Sultanova’s fifth victory of the season and follows her Asian Time Trial Championships victory in February and her national time trial title in Kazakhstan.
Four seconds decide Asian Games gold
Representing the Kazakhstan national team, Sultanova faced a tight battle for the title on the 24.4km Japanese course.
A strong performance on her Colnago ultimately gave her the winning margin. She stopped the clock at 36:23, with Zhang finishing only four seconds behind.
Shin completed the podium 32 seconds back.
The victory earned Sultanova a historic Asian Games gold medal for both herself and Kazakhstan while continuing her run of success against the clock in 2026.
Sultanova adds to time trial success
The Asian Games title strengthens a season in which Sultanova has consistently delivered in the discipline.
In February, she won the Asian Time Trial Championships before returning to Kazakhstan to claim the national title.
Her latest victory in Japan means she now holds continental, national and Asian Games time trial honours in the same season.
It also takes the UAE Development Team rider to five victories in 2026.
Safiya Alsayegh represents UAE in Japan
Sultanova was not the only UAE Development Team rider competing in the Asian Games time trial.
Her teammate Safiya Alsayegh represented the United Arab Emirates national team, finishing 12th in Shinshiro.
While both riders competed for their respective national teams rather than the UAE Team L’IMAD Development Team, their appearances brought two members of the development squad to the Asian Games field.
Sultanova celebrates season’s biggest target
For Sultanova, the gold medal carried particular significance after she identified the Asian Games as her primary goal for the year.
“I am very happy to have won the gold medal! This was my biggest goal of the year, and I am really happy that I managed to achieve it. I want to thank everyone who supported me and everyone whose hard work helped make this success possible.”
The victory completes another major milestone in Sultanova’s 2026 campaign, with the Kazakh rider adding Asian Games gold to a season already featuring success at both continental and national level.
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