▲ National Judo Team Member Kim Chan-nyong
Kim Chan-nyong, a member of the national judo team preparing for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, has won a bronze medal at the International Judo Federation (IJF) 2026 Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam.
On the first day of the tournament held at the AIC Steppe Arena in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Kim was defeated in the men's 66kg quarterfinals by Nizami Imranov of Azerbaijan, who scored a waza-ari with a right-handed belt-grip throw, preventing Kim from advancing to the semifinals.
However, Kim bounced back in the first round of the repechage, defeating Battogtokh Erkhembayar of Mongolia with a waza-ari via a stomach throw (baedae-dwichigi). He then secured his spot on the podium by defeating David Garcia Torne of Spain with a yuko in the bronze medal match.
This marks the second time in Kim's career that he has medaled at a Grand Slam, following his silver medal at the Paris Grand Slam this past February.
On the same day, Heo Mimi (Gyeongbuk Athletic Association), a silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics competing in the women's 57kg division, was eliminated from medal contention after a hard-fought match against Maysa Pardayeva of Turkmenistan in the second round, losing by a yuko in overtime.
(Photo: Screenshot from the International Judo Federation website, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.