S. Korean Olympic judokas arrive in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 3 (Yonhap) — The South Korean Olympic judo team arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, with hopes of continuing the country’s strong tradition at the quadrennial event.

Coached by Suh Joung-bok, the seven men and five women took a short flight from their training camp in Sao Paulo to the Olympic host city.

South Korea has grabbed 11 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze medals in Olympic judo, and had two gold medals at the previous Olympics in London four years ago.

South Korea could top London’s tally on the men’s side alone, with Kim Won-jin in 60kg, An Ba-ul in 66kg, An Chang-rim in 73kg and Gwak Dong-han in 90kg all considered title contenders.

On the women’s side, Kim Jan-di in the 57kg is a candidate to reach the podium.

“We put in a lot of work in Sao Paulo and we’re ready for the Olympics,” Suh told reporters at Santos Dumont Airport. “Our athletes are also driven and motivated to bring home gold medals.”

Judo will start on Saturday, the first day of competition after the opening ceremony, with Kim Won-jin in action.

He said the Sao Paulo camp helped him get fully acclimated to the new environment, and he’s looking forward to putting the finishing touch in Rio.

South Korean Olympic judokas walk through Santos Dumont Airport in Rio de Janeiro after arriving in the Summer Games host city on Aug. 3, 2016.