Serbian judoka Mihajlo Simin won a bronze medal at the World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday, October 7. Competing in the men’s under-81kg category, Simin secured Serbia’s second medal of the tournament.
His achievement followed another bronze medal for Serbia on Tuesday. Marica Perišić reached the podium in the women’s under-57kg category.
Simin advanced through several challenging matches before securing third place against South Korea’s Junhwan Lee.
Mihajlo Simin Wins Bronze After Strong Tournament Run
Mihajlo Simin began his campaign with a bye in the opening round.
He then defeated Ukraine’s Vladislav Kolobov in the second round to advance to the last 16.
Next, Simin overcame Kazakhstan’s Zhalgas Kairola and secured a place in the quarterfinals.
He continued his winning streak against Azerbaijan’s Omar Rajabli, defeating the home competitor to reach the semifinals.
However, Georgia’s Tato Grigalashvili ended Simin’s hopes of reaching the final.
Despite the setback, the Serbian judoka remained in contention for a medal.
In the bronze medal contest, Simin faced South Korea’s Junhwan Lee.
He won the match and secured bronze in the under-81kg division, adding another international achievement to Serbia’s judo results.
Grigalashvili went on to win the gold medal, while Azerbaijan’s Zelim Tckaev finished with silver.
Serbia Secures Second Medal in Baku
Simin’s bronze was Serbia’s second medal at the World Judo Championships in Baku.
A day earlier, Marica Perišić earned bronze in the women’s under-57kg competition.
Her result gave Serbia its first podium finish at the tournament.
Meanwhile, Serbia also had another representative in the men’s under-81kg category.
Vasilije Grujičić faced Nugzari Tatalashvili of the United Arab Emirates in the opening round.
However, Grujičić lost the match and exited the competition early.
Simin’s performance gave the Serbian delegation another reason to celebrate.
His victories over opponents from Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan demonstrated his consistency throughout the tournament.
Although he missed the final, he recovered from his semifinal defeat and finished on the podium.
With two bronze medals across consecutive days, Serbia continued its successful campaign at the championships in Azerbaijan.
