Kim Jae-bum

In this Korean name, the family name is Kim.

Kim Jae-bum
Personal information
Born (1985-01-25) 25 January 1985 (age 39)
Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
Home townSeoul, South Korea
Alma materYongin University
OccupationJudoka
Height182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Sport
CountrySouth Korea
SportJudo
Weight class–81 kg
Rank     5th dan black belt
Coached byChung Hoon
Korean name
Hangul
김재범
Hanja
Revised RomanizationGim Jae-beom
McCune–ReischauerKim Chae-bŏm
Achievements and titles
Olympic GamesGold (2012)
World Champ.Gold (2010, 2011)
Asian Champ.Gold (2005, 2008, 2009,
Gold( 2010, 2011, 2012,
Gold( 2014)
Highest world ranking1st (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Medal record
Men's judo
Representing  South Korea
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London ‍–‍81 kg
Silver medal – second place 2008 Beijing ‍–‍81 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2010 Tokyo ‍–‍81 kg
Gold medal – first place 2011 Paris ‍–‍81 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Rotterdam ‍–‍81 kg
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2010 Guangzhou ‍–‍81 kg
Gold medal – first place 2014 Incheon ‍–‍81 kg
Gold medal – first place 2014 Incheon Men's team
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2005 Tashkent ‍–‍73 kg
Gold medal – first place 2008 Jeju ‍–‍81 kg
Gold medal – first place 2009 Taipei ‍–‍81 kg
Gold medal – first place 2011 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍81 kg
Gold medal – first place 2012 Tashkent ‍–‍81 kg
Silver medal – second place 2015 Kuwait City ‍–‍81 kg
World Masters
Gold medal – first place 2010 Suwon ‍–‍81 kg
IJF Grand Slam
Gold medal – first place 2011 Paris ‍–‍81 kg
Gold medal – first place 2012 Tokyo ‍–‍81 kg
Silver medal – second place 2009 Paris ‍–‍81 kg
Silver medal – second place 2009 Tokyo ‍–‍81 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Paris ‍–‍81 kg
IJF Grand Prix
Gold medal – first place 2010 Düsseldorf ‍–‍81 kg
Gold medal – first place 2013 Jeju ‍–‍81 kg
Gold medal – first place 2014 Jeju ‍–‍81 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Düsseldorf ‍–‍81 kg
World Juniors Championships
Gold medal – first place 2004 Budapest ‍–‍73 kg
Asian Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2003 Macau ‍–‍66 kg
Summer Universiade
Silver medal – second place 2007 Bangkok ‍–‍73 kg
Profile at external databases
IJF64
JudoInside.com34929
Updated on 25 May 2023

Kim Jae-bum (김재범) (Korean pronunciation: [kim.dʑɛ̝.bʌm]; born 25 January 1985, in Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do) is a retired South Korean judoka.[1] Despite being plagued with injuries throughout his career, Kim is known for dominating major competitions at the half-middleweight category (81 kg)—particularly between his Olympic debut in 2008 and his 2012 Olympic finals rematch against Ole Bischof.[2]

Kim has had several nicknames, including "Man of One Arm Wins" for his successes through injury, "Korean Tiger" for his aggressive play and iconic status in South Korean judo, and "Energizer Bunny" for his quick and relentless style of judo.[3][4]

He was granted exemption from South Korea's mandatory military service in 2010, following his gold medal victory at the Guangzhou Asian Games.[5]

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Kim Jae-bum". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016.
  2. ^ "For gold, Korean judoka ignores life to train to death".
  3. ^ "Grand Slam Tokyo 2014: Nagase vs Kim".
  4. ^ "Cool Kiz on the Block: All Star Special Part 1".
  5. ^ "Korean judokas clean up at the Asian Games".