Judoka Kim Ha-yun wins bronze in women's +78kg

Kim Ha-yun won Korea’s third judo medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday, beating Kayra Ozdemir of Turkey with an ippon in the women’s +78-kilogram bronze medal match at Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris.

Korea's Kim Ha-yun reacts after beating Kayra Ozdemir of Turkey in the women's +78-kilogram judo bronze medal match in Paris on Friday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Kim Ha-yun won Korea’s third judo medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday, beating Kayra Ozdemir of Turkey with an ippon in the women’s +78-kilogram bronze medal match at Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris.

Kim fought her way into the bronze medal match through the repechage contest, beating Larisa Ceric of Bosnia and Herzegovina to earn a shot at a medal. She earlier lost to Beatriz Souza of Brazil, who went on to win gold in the competition.

In judo, the losers of the quarterfinals compete in the repechage round for a second shot at a medal. The winners of the repechage advance to the two bronze medal matches, where they face the losers of the semifinals. Two bronze medals are awarded in each judo discipline.

Kim is the third Korean to medal in Judo at the Paris Olympics, after Lee Joon-hwan took bronze in the men’s +81-kilogram and Huh Mi-mi took silver in the women’s +57-kilogram.

Korea is guaranteed another judo medal on Friday, with Kim Min-jong still scheduled to compete in the men’s +100-kilogram gold medal match later in the day as of press time.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]