Korean judoka Jang Se-yoon (KH Philux) defeated a strong Japanese opponent to reach the final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
On September 30, at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Jang won her semifinal match in the women's 52 kg category against Japan's Kokoro Fujishiro by disqualification after an extended bout. With her advancement to the final, Jang has secured at least a silver medal and is just one match away from gold.
Jang entered the match as the underdog, ranked 41st in the world by the International Judo Federation (IJF), while Fujishiro held the 10th position. Fujishiro is a top-level athlete who has recently won titles at the Tashkent Grand Slam and Qingdao Grand Prix.
Despite the overwhelming support for Fujishiro from the Japanese crowd, Jang remained composed. The two competitors failed to score during the regular four minutes, each receiving two penalties before entering golden score. The match was tense, as a third penalty would result in an automatic loss.
In the extension, Jang did not rush her attacks, applying pressure while avoiding unnecessary risks. After approximately 2 minutes and 54 seconds into golden score, Fujishiro received a third penalty for a false attack, leading to her disqualification and confirming Jang's place in the final.
Earlier in the day, Jang dominated her round of 16 match against Sabira Kozomberdiyeva (Kyrgyzstan), winning by ippon just 16 seconds into the contest. She also secured a victory over China's Xiaoyu with 46 seconds remaining in the quarterfinals. Following two decisive wins, Jang showcased her endurance and strategy in the semifinal.
The final match is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at the same venue, following the bronze medal match.
Meanwhile, in the men's 66 kg category, Kim Chan-nyung (High1) was unable to advance to the final after losing to Abduraheem Nutfuloev (Uzbekistan) in the semifinals. Kim allowed a point with 1 minute and 58 seconds left in the match. He attempted to recover but ultimately could not turn the score around, leading him to the bronze medal match.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.