PARIS — In a dramatic finish to the judo mixed team event at the Paris Olympics, South Korea clinched the bronze medal by defeating Germany in a tie-breaking match. The victory marked South Korea's first medal in the mixed team event, which debuted at the Olympics just three years prior.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the contest between South Korea and Germany was intensely competitive, culminating in a 3-3 tie after the initial six matches. Each team consisted of three male and three female judokas. The decisive moment came during a sudden-death match in the men's -73-kilogram division, randomly selected for the tiebreaker. South Korean judoka An Baul triumphed over Germany's Igor Wandtke, who received his third "shido" or warning, just over five minutes into the match.
The mixed team event, first introduced in Tokyo in 2021, involves various weight divisions, including -73kg, -90kg, and +90kg for men and -57kg, -70kg, and +70kg for women. In the bronze medal match, South Korea's line-up featured all four individual medalists from the current games: Lee Joon-hwan (-90kg) and Kim Min-jong (+90kg) for the men, alongside Huh Mimi (-57kg) and Kim Ha-yun (+70kg) for the women.
Despite Lee's initial loss, victories by Kim Ha-yun, Kim Min-jong, and Huh gave South Korea an early lead. However, subsequent losses by An and Kim Ji-su in their respective matches allowed Germany to draw level, setting the stage for the final, tension-filled bout. An, a previous silver and bronze medalist, demonstrated resilience and strategic prowess under pressure, securing the win for his team through strategic play rather than aggressive tactics.
An reflected on the significance of the team medal, emphasizing the collective effort and personal determination that contributed to their victory. Similarly, Lee Joon-hwan expressed a deeper satisfaction with the team medal compared to his individual bronze, highlighting the supportive dynamic among the team members. Kim Min-jong, returning from a knee injury, shared his emotional victory in the bronze match, underscoring the physical and emotional challenges overcome by the athletes.