The final with Korean judo signage! High school girl Lee Hyun-ji beats Olympic medalist Kim Ha-yoon to win
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Lee Hyun-ji (Namnyeong High School, world No. 1) won the gold medal by beating Kim Ha-yoon (Ansan City Hall, world No. 4) in the women's 78kg or higher final on the second day of the 2025 International Judo Federation (IJF) Tokyo Grand Slam at Tokyo Gymnasium in Japan on the 7th.
Lee Hyun-ji, who beat Tomita Wakaba of Japan in the quarter-final, advanced to the final after defeating even Arai Mao of Japan in the semifinal with a foul win. Coincidentally, Kim Ha-yoon, a senior member of the national team, is competing in the final. Kim Ha-yoon, a gold medalist at the World Championship and Asian Games and a bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics, is the world's fourth-ranked player in this weight class and one of the biggest rivals in the region.
Lee Hyun-ji, who lost to Kim Ha-yoon in the previous world competition, tried to doze off after blocking Kim Ha-yoon's left-handed piggyback attempt at the end of regular time. Kim Ha-yoon surrendered by hitting a tap, and Lee Hyun-ji's one-round victory was confirmed. It was the moment when he beat his senior and secured the championship.
Lee Hyun-ji, who has been expected to be a big prospect in Korean women's judo since her junior years, is making a splash this season when she debuted on the senior stage. He won the gold medal at the Bariš Grand Slam in May this year, and later won the bronze medal at the World Championships when he lost to Kim Ha-yoon in the quarterfinals. Starting with the gold medal at the Tokyo Grand Slam, it fired a signal of a full-fledged generation change.
Meanwhile, Lee Ha-rim of the men's 60kg class (national sports unit) won the bronze medal, while Kim Chan-nyeong of the men's 66kg class (High1) lost the bronze medal match unfortunately.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
