[Asian Games] Korea wraps up judo with mixed results

As the judo competition at the Incheon Asian Games ended Tuesday, South Korean judokas left with different expressions on their faces.

Among the four golds the squad acquired in the individual events at the Asiad, three were claimed by female fighters, while only one male judoka, Kim Jae-bum, won a gold.

Jeong Gyeong-mi, the eldest on the women's team, topped the women's under 78-kilogram class to become the first South Korean woman fighter to defend her Asiad title. Kim Seong-yeon and Joung Da-woon also stood on the top of the podium, with four other judokas earning one silver and three bronzes.


From the men's squad, however, reigning Olympic champ Kim Jae-bum was the only gold medalist among seven competitors who competed at Incheon. The rest of the team contributed five bronzes.

The men have usually won more titles than their female teammates at Asiads, and the table was turned this time.

At the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, the male team dug out four golds from eight events, while the women won two golds.

Seo Joung-bok, who coaches the female athletes, could barely contain his happiness, calling his fighters' feat "a big triumph."

He said his long tenure with the team helped bear fruit at the Asiad. He has led the women's team since the 2010 Asiad, after the country was shut out of titles at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

"The women's team had been struggling for decades. But they have been on a roll for a few years as they dedicated themselves to hard training," said Seo. "I know every habit and skill of each athlete on the team. I can teach them detailed strategies on how to take on certain opponents based on their style."

On the other hand, the men's team, aside from Kim Jae-bum, largely disappointed, especially since Japan, the usual judo powerhouse, didn't send its top fighters to Incheon this time. Most of them competed at the 2014 World Judo Championships that ended late last month in Russia.

South Korea still lagged behind Japan and even Mongolia, which won two golds, three silvers and two bronzes in the men's individual events, compared to South Korea's two golds and five bronzes.

Experts say South Korea has failed to foster younger generations to keep up with other countries.

On the men's team, the gap between Kim, 29, and young athletes has been widening mainly due to their lack of skills and international experience.

"Mongolia has sent young and promising fighters to many international competitions for years. They've now emerged to pose threats to traditional judo powerhouses like South Korea," said Kong Ja-young, who earned bronze in the women's 63kg at the Guangzhou Asian Games.

"They are working hard as they can get rich and prosperous if they are successful in judo," she added. "But we don't have new faces in some weight classes to contend for medals on the world stage."

Coach Cho In-chul said his fighters were too nervous to fully exhibit their abilities at the Asiad on home soil.

"My athletes are strong enough to collect at least two gold medals, but they were too nervous to demonstrate their real abilities," he said. "I will strengthen mental and psychological training ahead of the 2016 Olympics."

The men's squad took the gold in the team event on Tuesday to finish the Asiad with two golds. (Yonhap)