Kim Sung-Min rejoins the world’s heavyweight elite
Asian Games gold medallist Kim Sung-Min (KOR) conquered Olympic silver medallist Harasawa Hisayoshi (JPN) by ippon with an o-soto-gari to win gold in the last contest of the 2019 Paris Grand Slam. Kim has toiled of late and had been surpassed by a new generation of heavyweights but showed he can still mix it with the best and renewed his place among the sport’s top heavyweights.
In the first semi-final Tel Aviv Grand Prix winner Or Sasson (ISR) was thrown for a waza-ari by KIM who pinned down the Israeli to power into the final.
In the second semi-final Osaka Grand Slam winner Henk Grol (NED) v Olympic silver medallist Harasawa Hisayoshi (JPN)
The first bronze medal was won by 2018 Paris champion Kageura Kokoro (JPN) who used his lethal ashi-waza to catch Grol for ippon.
The second and last bronze medal contest saw world silver medallist Ushangi Kokauri (AZE) topple Sasson by ippon.
Result | City | Date |
---|---|---|
2 | Paris | 30 Jul |
1 | Abu Dhabi | 21 May |
1 | Zagreb | 26 Apr |
3 | Belgrade | 2023 |
2 | Montpellier | 2023 |