South Korean judoka Huh Mi-mi (Gyeongbuk Sports Council) has reached the final of her first Asian Games, with just one match remaining for a gold medal.
Huh advanced to the final of the women's 57 kg category at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on October 1, by defeating Shukurjon Aminova of Uzbekistan by penalty in the semifinals.
The semifinal was a tightly contested match. Huh aggressively attempted techniques from the start, putting pressure on Aminova. With 3 minutes and 8 seconds left in the match, Huh earned the first penalty against her opponent. Although Huh received a penalty with 1 minute and 45 seconds remaining, Aminova also received a second penalty, maintaining Huh's advantage.
The decisive moment came with about 30 seconds left in the match. Aminova committed a prohibited action by twisting Huh's arm during a technique attempt, resulting in a third penalty. Huh secured her spot in the final due to her opponent's disqualification.
In her earlier matches, Huh displayed overwhelming performance.
In the round of 16, Huh faced Jomari Hart Rafael of the Philippines and scored an ippon just 14 seconds into the match with a throw, quickly adding another half point with a hold. She completed the match in just 28 seconds.
Huh continued her momentum in the quarterfinals, taking control early against Tao Yuying of China. After throwing her opponent, she secured an ippon victory in just 1 minute and 30 seconds.
A silver medalist in the women's 57 kg category at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Huh is competing in her first individual event at the Asian Games.
Huh, who grew up in Japan, is the fifth descendant of independence activist Heo Seok. Following her grandmother's wish to see her represent South Korea, Huh chose to compete under the South Korean flag.
After winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, Huh now aims for the top spot in Asia while competing in Japan.
Her final opponent will be Terbish Ariunjaya of Mongolia, who advanced to the final after defeating Kim Hyun-a of North Korea in the semifinals.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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