Kim Min-jong, South Korea's top men's heavyweight judoka, lost by ippon in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, ending his bid for a semifinal berth.
Kim, who competes for the Yangpyeong County Office team, fell to Muzaffarbek Turoboyev of Uzbekistan in the men's over-100-kilogram quarterfinals on the 2nd at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan.
Kim was put at a disadvantage early in the bout after receiving two shido penalties. Turoboyev then countered with a throw 2 minutes 36 seconds into the match, ending the contest.
Kim won a bronze medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and took silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics. With no title at this tournament either, his quest for a first gold medal at a major international multi-sport event will have to wait.
Kim moved into the repechage, where he beat Yerassyl Kazhybayev of Kazakhstan to reach the bronze medal match. That bout is scheduled for 5:40 p.m.
Elsewhere, South Korea's judo team remains in contention for more medals. Lee Hyun-ji of Yongin University in the women's over-78-kilogram class, Han Joo-yeop of High1 in the men's 100-kilogram class, Kim Min-ju of Gwangju Transportation Corporation in the women's 78-kilogram class and Kim Jong-hoon of the Yangpyeong County Office team in the men's 90-kilogram class each advanced to the semifinals.
