(LEAD) (Asiad) S. Korean judokas earn three bronze medals on first day

(ATTN: ADDS athletes' remarks, background in paras 6-7, 11-12, photos)
By Kim Boram and Park Sojung

INCHEON, Sept. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean judo got off to a weak start Saturday as their fighters earned a disappointing three bronze medals in the men's and women's events on the first day of competition at the Incheon Asian Games.

Jeong Bo-kyeong finished third in the women's 48㎏ class, edging out Chinese Wu Shugen by a shido, or a penalty, in the bronze medal contest held in Dowon Gymnasium in western Incheon.

She lost to gold medal winner Mongolian Munkhabat Urantsetseg in the semis by ippon in the lightest division for women.

In the same weight class, North Korean judoka Kim Sol-mi won another bronze in the repechage final against Aigul Baikuleva from Kazakhtan for an ippon.

South Korea's Kim Won-jin won bronze in the men's under-60 kilogram division, defeating Tsai Ming Yen from Chinese Taipei for a waza-ari, or half-point, in the event's repechage final.

"I'd been gunning for the gold but was devastated when I lost (at the quarterfinals)," a visibly emotional Kim said. "But the game is not over yet so I'm still hoping for a good result."

South Korea will compete in the team portion of judo on Tuesday, the first time for it to be included in the Asian Games.

Mongolia's Ganbat Boldbaatar was the winner over Kazakhstan's Smetove Yeldos in the division.

Ranked ninth in the world, Kim was favored to snatch gold at this year's Asiad but he lost to Japan's Toru Shishime, No. 32 in the world, by waza-ari in the quarterfinals and dropped to repechage.

Jung Eun-jung of the women's 52㎏ category also captured a bronze medal on a repechage victory over China's Ma Yingnam. She was relegated to repechage after losing to Turkmenistan's Gulbadam Babamuratova by yuko in the quarters.

"I'm disappointed that we didn't win any gold today," said Jung. "But I hope that the bronze will serve as a consolation to the residents of my hometown."

She was referring to Ansan, the city just south of Seoul, where nearly an entire class of high school students died on a capsized ferry in April.

Competing in the men's 66㎏ discipline, Choi Gwang-hyeon was eliminated in the second round on an ippon defeat to Japan's Tomofumi Takajo.

Judo is one of South Korea's biggest gold mines in international sporting events. The country clinched six golds out of 14 titles up for grabs at the Guangzhou Asiad.

On Sunday, the second day of competition, athletes will vie for titles in the women's 57㎏, 63㎏ and 70㎏ classes and the men's 73㎏ and 81㎏ classes. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist, Kim Jae-bum, is in strong contention for gold in the men's 81㎏ division.

brk@yna.co.kr
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