"Huh Mimi Alone Was Not Enough"—South Korea's Judo Mixed Team Loses 3-4 to Kazakhstan After 'Roulette Overtime' [Nagoya AG]

[Financial News]  Ultimately, individual-event gold medalist Huh Mimi (Gyeongbuk Sports Council) alone was not enough to carry the entire team to the final. The Korea Judo Team's men's and women's representatives were eliminated from the final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after bowing to Kazakhstan in a grueling 'roulette overtime' battle in the mixed team event.
The Korea Judo Team suffered a narrow 3-4 loss to Kazakhstan in the mixed team semifinal at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on the 3rd. South Korea had raised hopes of winning gold after easily defeating a formidable Chinese team 4-1 in the quarterfinals, but Kazakhstan's tenacious resistance forced the team to turn back in disappointment.
The semifinal was a breathtaking exchange of blows. South Korea got off to a perfect start. In the opening bout of the women's 57kg division, ace Huh Mimi seized the initiative with an ippon win over Dana Abdirova using her signature yoko-shiho-gatame hold.



But trouble arrived immediately. In the men's 73kg division, Lee Eun-kyul (Buan County Office) appeared to gain the upper hand after forcing Gusman Kyrgyzbayev to receive two shidos. However, with 41 seconds remaining, Lee conceded a yuko from a surprise ko-uchi-gari, allowing Kyrgyzbayev to tie the bout at 1-1.
Kim Hye-mi (Gwangju Transportation Corporation), South Korea's third competitor, regained a 2-1 lead with a yuko win from an inside leg trip over Azhar Askhat after a fierce golden-score overtime battle. In the ensuing men's 90kg bout, however, Kim Jong-hoon suffered a waza-ari loss to Aidar Arapov on a ko-uchi-gari, bringing the score back to 2-2.
In the fifth match, the women's over-78kg division, Kim Ha-yun (Ansan City Hall) scored a perfect ippon over Aida Toishibekova by combining a shoulder throw with a hold-down. South Korea needed only one more win to reach the final. But the finish proved painful. Trusted men's heavyweight representative Kim Min-jong (Yangpyeong County Office) suffered a waza-ari loss to Marat Baikamurov after a fierce golden-score battle, leaving the teams tied at 3-3.


The match proceeded to 'roulette overtime,' in which the weight class is selected by random draw and the winner is decided in a single bout. Fate selected the women's over-78kg division. South Korea's Kim Ha-yun and Kazakhstan's Aida Toishibekova returned to the mat. During golden-score overtime, which featured an intense grip fight, an exhausted Kim Ha-yun fell under pressure after receiving two consecutive shidos. Unable to turn the momentum around, she received a third shido and was disqualified, lowering her head in heartbreak.
Despite Huh Mimi's dominant performance, the Korea Judo Team missed out on a place in the final because of its lack of finishing strength. That afternoon, the team will face Uzbekistan in the bronze-medal match, seeking to finish the tournament on a high note.


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