Kim Min-seok, South Korea's top wrestler in the super heavyweight category, secured his third consecutive bronze medal at the Asian Games despite competing with an injury. This medal marks the first for South Korean wrestling in the current tournament.
On September 30, at the Inae Sports Center in Nagoya, Japan, Kim defeated Aslan Agadadayeva of Turkmenistan 7-2 in the bronze medal match of the men's Greco-Roman 130kg category. After initially scoring a point, he quickly built a 7-0 lead with consecutive technical points. Although he faced a moment of crisis in the second period when he conceded a point due to a passive situation, he managed to hold on for the victory.
Earlier that day, Kim had drawn 1-1 with Rafael Chichuashvili of Uzbekistan in the round of 16 but lost based on the criteria of the first point scored. After Chichuashvili advanced to the finals, Kim earned a chance for redemption in the repechage round, where he defeated Kazakhstan's Olzhas Shilibaev 6-1 to reach the bronze medal match.
With this achievement, Kim has now won bronze medals at three consecutive Asian Games, following his performances in Jakarta-Palembang in 2018 and Hangzhou in 2022.
This bronze medal is particularly significant as Kim has been dealing with an injury. He suffered a rupture of the left pectoral muscle during training in March of last year and was advised to undergo surgery. However, he postponed the procedure to avoid disrupting his preparation for the national team selection and the Asian Games.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.