Korea's judo team faced a tough battle against Kazakhstan but failed to reach the finals in the mixed team event. After securing only one gold medal in individual competitions, the team aimed for another in the mixed team category but fell short.
On October 3, at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, Korea lost to Kazakhstan 4-3 in the semifinals of the mixed team judo event after finishing the regular six matches tied at 3-3.
Korea took an early lead when Heo Mi-mi defeated Dana Abdirova by ippon in the women's -57 kg category, putting Korea ahead 1-0. Heo, who won Korea's only gold medal in the women's -57 kg individual event, continued her success in the mixed team competition.
In the second match, Lee Eun-gyeol competed in the men's -73 kg category, stepping in for Ahn Jae-hong, who had previously fought in the quarterfinals against China. Lee was unable to secure a win against Kyrgyzstani opponent, resulting in a tie at 1-1.
Kim Hye-mi restored Korea's lead in the women's -70 kg category. After a stalemate in regular time, she entered golden score and secured a victory with a successful attack, bringing the score to 2-1 in favor of Korea.
Korea maintained its lead as Kim Ha-yoon competed in the women's +70 kg category, winning by ippon against Toyishebekova. After five matches, Korea led 3-2, needing just one more win to advance to the finals.
However, Kazakhstan equalized in the final regular match when Kim Min-jong lost to Baikamurov, ending the six matches at 3-3.
The tiebreaker match was determined by a draw, resulting in Kim Ha-yoon facing Toyishebekova again. Despite her earlier victory, Kim was disqualified after receiving three penalties in the extension, leading to a final score of 4-3 in favor of Kazakhstan.
Korea's judo team concluded the tournament with one gold, three silver, and four bronze medals. Heo Mi-mi was the only gold medalist in individual events, and the team was unable to add to its medal count in the mixed team competition.
After failing to reach the finals, Korea will compete in the bronze medal match, aiming for its last medal in judo at this tournament.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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