In the first all-Korean showdown of the 19th Asian Games in China, An Baul of South Korea beat Ri Kum-song of North Korea in men’s judo on Sunday.
An beat Ri with a golden score in extra time in the round of 16 of the men’s -66kg division at Xiaoshan Linpu Gymnasium in Hangzhou.
An was in attack mode from the start, but Ri held his ground to keep the match tied.
Ri was called for a couple of “shidos,” or minor infractions, for non-combativity after the first two minutes. But An himself received a shido at the 2:44 mark for a false-attack.
The two athletes went into extra time all tied up, and An got the clinching score with his “ko-uchi-makikomi,” or small inner wrap-around throw.
The two shook hands before leaving the mat.
“I tried not to think too much about the South-North battle thing,” An said afterward. “It took me a long time to beat him. I will see this as a warmup (for the rest of the day).”
Source: Yonhap News Agency