South Korean judoka Kim Jong-hoon (Yangpyeong County Office) secured a valuable bronze medal in the men's 90kg category at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
On October 2, at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Kim defeated Iran's Amir Abbas Choupan with a decisive pin just 3 minutes and 21 seconds into the bronze medal match.
During the match, Kim calmly took control against his larger opponent. He executed a surprise left-arm throw about 40 seconds into the bout, scoring an early point. Continuing to target his opponent's arms, Kim capitalized on a moment of fatigue from Choupan, leading to a perfect pin and a one-point victory.
Earlier in the competition, Kim dominated his first match in the round of 16, defeating Made Sastra Dharma of Indonesia in just 29 seconds. He then advanced to the quarterfinals, where he comfortably secured a spot in the semifinals by scoring a half-point and a valid point against Han Chi of China. However, in the semifinals, he suffered a one-point loss to Japan's Okada Riku, missing the chance to compete in the final.
Although he did not win the gold medal, this tournament reaffirmed Kim's growth as an athlete. Last February, he was an unknown ranked 111th in the world at the Paris Grand Slam, where he triumphed over world champion Luka Maisuradze of Georgia in an extended match. Since then, he has consistently improved his skills and was considered a strong medal contender at this Asian Games, ultimately achieving a bronze medal.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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