The Chinese judo team concluded their campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on October 3 by securing a bronze medal in the mixed team event. After a challenging tournament, the squad defeated Mongolia in the bronze medal match to earn a spot on the podium, as reported by Xinhua.
Format and Path to the Bronze Medal
The mixed team competition at the Asian Games follows a format requiring each team to field three men and three women. The six weight categories compete in sequence, with the first team to secure four individual victories winning the match. In the event of a 3-3 tie, a single weight class is selected by draw to compete in a “golden score” overtime period to decide the outcome. The tournament operates on a single-elimination basis with a repechage system, ultimately awarding two bronze medals.
China’s journey to the podium began with a 1-4 loss to South Korea in the quarterfinals. Team captain Lin Gaohui noted the significant challenge posed by the South Korean roster, which included Olympic medalists. “The South Korean team’s overall strength is indeed very strong,” Lin said. “We hoped to compete for a medal or even gold, so we held a firm determination to challenge them, but there was still a gap in individual strength.”
China Wins Bronze After Defeating Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia
Following the quarterfinal defeat, China transitioned to the repechage, where they faced Kyrgyzstan. Despite an initial loss by Tao Yuying, the team rallied with consecutive victories from Lin Gaohui, Zhang Wen, Han Qi, and Niu Xinran to win 4-1 and advance to the bronze medal contest.
In the bronze match against Mongolia, China faced an early setback when Lin Gaohui lost by ippon. The team responded with wins from Han Qi, Zhang Wen, and Niu Xinran to take a 3-1 lead. Although Li Haiyang dropped the fifth match by ippon, bringing the score to 3-2, Tao Yuying secured the final victory by ippon to clinch the bronze for the team.
Reflecting on a Podium Performance
For 18-year-old Tao Yuying, the victory served as a significant recovery after her earlier loss in the repechage. “After losing the previous match, my teammates were all encouraging me,” Tao said. “In the bronze medal match, I knew if I won, the whole team would get a medal, so I went in with the mindset that I had to win.”
Final Medal Standings
Japan claimed the gold medal in the mixed team event, defeating Kazakhstan 4-0 in the final. Uzbekistan secured the second bronze medal. At the conclusion of the judo competition, China finished with a total of one gold and five bronze medals, placing them fifth in the overall judo medal table. Japan led the field with nine golds, while Uzbekistan and South Korea followed in the rankings.
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