Aiko Sugihara Wins Historic Asian Games All-Around Gold at 27

Aiko Sugihara won Japan’s first Asian Games women’s all-around gymnastics title on September 22, scoring 55.599 in Nagoya. Misa Nishiyama added bronze with 55.032, giving the host nation two places on the podium.^[1] The Olympic Council of Asia says the victory ended China’s run of 13 consecutive titles since the event entered the Games in 1974.^[2]

A title earned across four apparatus

The official results put Sugihara 0.400 points ahead of China’s Ke Qinqin, who scored 55.199. The competition at Nagoya General Gymnasium also served as qualification for the team and apparatus competitions.^[1][6]

Source: official results published by the Japan Gymnastics Association.^[1] The all-around title recognizes her combined performance across all four apparatus, extending a career already distinguished by success on floor.

Returning to the top

Sugihara turned 27 on September 19. The Japanese Olympic Committee records appearances at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.^[3][4] Her latest gold arrived three days after her birthday.

Her official biography says she stepped away from the front line of competition in 2022, returned at Japan’s apparatus championships in 2023 and won floor. In 2025, she won the NHK Cup again after a ten-year interval and became world champion on floor.^[5]

That sequence makes this more than a story about an experienced gymnast staying involved. It is a return followed by major titles, now including an all-around championship at a home Asian Games.

Japan’s individual and team results

Japan followed the individual medals with women’s team silver on September 23, according to the Japan Gymnastics Association.^[6] The outcomes show success in different competition formats; Sugihara’s individual gold should not be read as a team victory.

For Japan.co.jp, the wider significance is the room her career leaves for an athlete to step away, return and develop further. Her official profile also records that she has headed TRyAS since June 2023.^[5] That parallel role does not establish why she won, but it adds another dimension to a sporting career that has continued to evolve.

The clearest evidence remains the result itself: a gymnast with two Olympic appearances, a break from top-level competition and subsequent world success has now won a historic continental all-around title.