An Chang-Rim defeats Hashimoto and offers Korea third gold

The 2017 world champion, Hashimoto Soichi (JPN) was the big favourite before the start of the day and without a hitch he made the final, to meet the 2018 world champion An Chang-Rim (KOR), in a match that promised to be explosive.

At the end of regular time nothing was scored and the athletes entered golden score, where they continued to neutralise one another, incapable of finding the slightest opportunity to score. It was only after 3 minutes and 43 seconds of extra time that Hashimoto applied a dangerous technique for which he received hansoku-make, the victory going to An Changrim, delivering a third gold medal to Korea, on the occasion of the 2021 World Judo Masters.

Igor Wandtke (GER) worked hard for a chance to stand on the podium, fighting against Zhansay Smagulov (KAZ) for the bronze. With only a few seconds remaining on the scoreboard, Wandtke scored a waza-ari with an opportunist’s seoi-nage, which brought him a well-deserved bronze medal.

In second bronze medal contest it was the Uzbek Khikmatillokh Turaev who faced Antoine Bouchard (CAN) and who won the medal with a waza-ari.

At the end of day 2 there are 3 gold medals for Korea, two for Japan and France, one for Kosovo and Georgia. So far 16 countries have had representatives step up on to the podium.