Kim Ji-soo of the Gyeongbuk Sports Council finished fifth in the women's 63kg judo category at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after losing in the bronze medal match.
On October 1, at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, Kim faced Mongolia's Lkhagvatogoo in the bronze medal match, where she lost by ippon after the match went into golden score. The two competitors were unable to determine a winner in regular time, leading to the extension, where Kim allowed an outside leg attack that ended the match.
Earlier in the quarterfinals, Kim lost to Kazakhstan's Esmikul Kuyulova by ippon, which sent her to the repechage.
In the repechage, Kim faced China's Zhang Yuan, securing a half-point with a throw just 3 minutes and 19 seconds into the match. She followed up with a victory by ippon at 3 minutes and 43 seconds, advancing to the bronze medal match.
In the bronze medal match against Lkhagvatogoo, Kim was unable to secure a win in regular time, leading to the golden score where she ultimately lost, concluding her first Asian Games medal attempt in individual competition.
Kim Ji-soo, a third-generation Korean resident in Japan, was born in Japan and moved to Korea after graduating from high school. In 2020, she became the first female judo athlete of Korean descent to represent South Korea.
She is set to compete in the women's 63kg individual event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she previously won a bronze medal in the mixed team event.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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