Wei Zidi, Puripol Boonson named MVPs of Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games
In short
Organisers of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games named Chinese swimmer Wei Zidi and Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson as the Games' female and male MVPs on 4 October. Wei won three individual swimming golds, setting Games records in the 200m butterfly (2:05.08) and 400m individual medley (4:28.56), while Boonson won the 100m in a Games-record 9.90 and the 200m in 19.88. Outlets give Wei's age as either 13 or 14, and one attributes the award to the Olympic Council of Asia rather than the organising committee.
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Organisers of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games announced on 4 October that Chinese swimmer Wei Zidi and Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson were the Games' female and male most valuable players. Yonhap said the announcement came from the Games organising committee, while Hankook Ilbo said the Olympic Council of Asia selected the pair ahead of the closing ceremony and that the award carries prize money of $25,000, about 34 million won. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Wei won three individual gold medals, setting Games records in the 200m butterfly in 2:05.08 and the 400m individual medley in 4:28.56, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. Hankook Ilbo added that she won the 200m individual medley in 2:06.10, an Asian record and the second-fastest time ever, 0.4 seconds behind world record holder Summer McIntosh of Canada, and that she became the youngest swimmer to win Asian Games gold. Outlets differ on her age: Yonhap and Asia Economy described her as 13, while Hankook Ilbo put her at 14. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Boonson, 20, is nicknamed “Thailand's Bolt” in reference to Usain Bolt. He won the men's 100m in a Games-record 9.90 and the 200m in 19.88, a time Yonhap called an Asian record-equalling mark and Hankook Ilbo said matched the 2019 Asian record of China's Xie Zhenye. Hankook Ilbo reported that he also took silver in the mixed 400m relay and that he is the first athlete from a country other than Korea, China or Japan to win the MVP since the award was introduced in 1998. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Yonhap noted that Wei had taken bronze at the 2025 world championships in Singapore at the age of 12, which it described as the youngest medal in that event's history, and said her MVP award confirmed her standing as one of Asia's leading talents. [ 1 ]
Hankook Ilbo also reported that China's Zhang Zhanshuo, who won seven golds in the pool, missed out on the MVP award, and that his tally equalled the record for most golds at a single Games, set by North Korean shooter Seo Gil-san in New Delhi in 1982. [ 4 ]
Newsis published a headline reporting the same MVP selections, but the article text carried by the outlet concerned a financial authorities' meeting on hacking-related customer data leaks and did not match the headline, so its body details were not used. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The MVP award is the Games' headline individual honour, and Hankook Ilbo reported that Boonson's selection is the first by an athlete from outside Korea, China and Japan since the award began in 1998. Wei's record swims add to China's showing in the pool at a Games held in Japan. The documents indicate no consequences beyond the awards themselves.
Key facts
- The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games named Wei Zidi of China and Puripol Boonson of Thailand as female and male MVP on 4 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Wei Zidi won three individual swimming golds, setting Games records in the 200m butterfly (2:05.08) and the 400m individual medley (4:28.56). [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Puripol Boonson, 20, won the men's 100m in 9.90, a Games record, and the 200m in 19.88, equalling the Asian record set by China's Xie Zhenye in 2019. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Yonhap said Wei took bronze at the 2025 world championships in Singapore, making her the youngest medallist in that event's history. [ 1 ]
- Hankook Ilbo said the award carries prize money of $25,000, about 34 million won. [ 4 ]
- Hankook Ilbo said Boonson is the first athlete from a country other than Korea, China or Japan to win the MVP since the award was introduced in 1998, and that he also took silver in the mixed 400m relay. [ 4 ]
- Outlets described Wei as 13 years old in some reports and 14 in another. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games selected Wei Zidi as female MVP and Puripol Boonson as male MVP, announced on 4 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Wei Zidi won three individual swimming golds and set Games records in the 200m butterfly and the 400m individual medley. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Puripol Boonson won the men's 100m and 200m titles at the Games. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Boonson clocked 9.90 in the 100m and 19.88 in the 200m. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The selections followed record-setting performances by both athletes, and both were described as the Games' standout competitors. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Wei Zidi's age is given as 13 by Yonhap and Asia Economy and as 14 by Hankook Ilbo, including in its headline. The documents state different ages for the same athlete and do not reconcile the discrepancy.
- It is not consistent across documents which body made the selection: Yonhap and Asia Economy attribute it to the Games organising committee, while Hankook Ilbo attributes it to the Olympic Council of Asia. Two different awarding bodies are named; no document explains the difference.
- Hankook Ilbo reported prize money of $25,000 for the award. Single-source claim; no other document mentions prize money.
- Yonhap reported her 200m individual medley time of 2:06.10 as an Asian record and the second-fastest ever, 0.4 seconds behind world record holder Summer McIntosh of Canada. Stated only by Hankook Ilbo; other documents cover only the 200m butterfly and 400m medley records.
- The Newsis document carries a headline about the MVP selections but article text about a financial authorities' emergency meeting on hacking-related customer data leaks. The body text does not match the headline and concerns a different subject, so its details could not be used for this event.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports the Games organising committee's announcement of Wei Zidi and Puripol Boonson as MVPs, with details of their records. [ 1 ]
- Newsis publishes a headline report on the MVP selections. [ 2 ]
- Asia Economy reports the MVP selections and the athletes' gold medals and record times. [ 3 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports the Olympic Council of Asia selected the pair before the closing ceremony, citing a $25,000 prize and Boonson's first-for-his-region status. [ 4 ]