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Taegeuk Warriors, Judo Kim Min-jong
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Taegeuk Warriors Go, Korean Judo Kim Min-jong
The first World Championships men's heavyweight title in 39 years, the signature sharp technique of judo, is challenging for the championship... Must defeat the son of a French hero and a Japanese legend
The men's 100kg and above judo class is said to be the exclusive domain of Western athletes.
Since there is no weight limit in this weight class, it is advantageous for Western athletes with good physique and strength to achieve good results.
Korean judo has never won a gold medal in the men's super-heavyweight division in Olympic history.
Japan, which swept nine gold medals in judo at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, failed to win a medal in the men's 100kg or more division at the same competition.
That's why the appearance of Kim Min-jong (Yangpyeong County Office), the second son of the Majang-dong butcher shop, is all the more welcome. 메이저사이트
Kim Min-jong was born as the second son of three sons and one daughter to parents who ran a butcher shop for generations in Majang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, famous for its livestock market.
Kim Min-jong, who had a unique physique since childhood, could not control his overflowing energy, and his parents took him to a local judo gym to let out some of his energy.
Kim Min-jong grew up like a fish in water.
He swept national competition trophies starting in the 6th grade of elementary school, and in December 2018, when he was a 3rd year student at Boseong High School, he wore the Taegeuk mark.
Then in 2019, he caused an upset by winning a bronze medal at the World Championships.
After that, Kim Min-jong defeated his senior Kim Seong-min, who had been the number one in his weight class for a long time, and earned a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
At the Tokyo Olympics, he showed his inexperience and lack of game management skills and was eliminated in the round of 16.
He was unable to overcome the experience of Hisayoshi Harasawa (Japan), who was ranked 2nd in the world at the time, and lost with 30 seconds left in the regular time, giving up half of the game.
Kim Min-jong was unable to control his anger and burst into tears.
He said, "I will start training again tomorrow," and "I will not shed tears in Paris."
Kim Min-jong, who experienced failure, has risen to the top of his weight class.
He won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships, a bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, and then had a 'pleasant accident' of winning the World Championships held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in May.
It was the first time in 39 years since Cho Yong-chul, the current president of the Korea Judo Association, won a gold medal in the men's super-heavyweight division at the World Championships that a Korean player had won.
In the semifinals, Kim Min-jong defeated 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Lukas Krpalek (Czech Republic) with a half-cross and in the finals, he defeated Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Guram Tusishvili of Georgia with a cross-cross.
Now that he is at the top of the world, Kim Min-jong is setting his sights on the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
At a recent media day event, Kim Min-jong raised his voice saying, "If I prepare properly, I will be able to win the gold medal," adding, "I am confident."
Kim Min-jong, who is 184cm tall and weighs 135kg, is physically fit for a Korean athlete, but is considered small for his weight class on the world stage.
Krpalek, whom he faced in the semifinals of the World Championships, is 198cm tall, and Tusishvili, his opponent in the finals, is 193cm tall.
Teddy Riner, who is considered a living legend of French judo, is 203cm tall.
There is a big difference in strength and reach (the distance the arm can reach) between him and Kim Min-jong.
Kim Min-jong made up for his shortcomings with technique.
He trained mainly with lower weight class athletes, increased his speed and stamina, and perfected his technical judo by learning various foot techniques.
Kim Min-jong also trained various unconventional techniques while preparing for the Paris Olympics.
This is also why Kim Min-jong has been losing weight little by little recently.
While other heavyweight athletes increase their weight and muscle mass before a big competition, Kim Min-jong is losing weight instead.
He said, "I need to lose weight so that I can use my skills more freely," and "I will do well at the Paris Olympics by showcasing my various skills."
There are many competitors in this weight class who will fight for the medal color.
Riner, who has won the World Championships a record 11 times, is the most threatening.
Riner, who is 35 years old, is considered to have lost his skills compared to his prime, but since this Olympics is being held at home, he is expected to take advantage of the competition.
Another player to watch out for is Saito Tatsuru, the rising star of Japan's top heavyweight division.
Saito is the son of Hitoshi Saito, a Japanese judo hero who won two consecutive gold medals in the men's judo event at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and the Japanese judo community has high hopes for Saito.
Tokyo Olympic medalists Krpalek and Tusishvili should also be on guard.
Russian star player Tashoev will not be participating in the Paris Olympics due to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s disciplinary action and the decision of the Russian authorities.
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