From left: Silver medalist Simone Alessio of Italy, gold medalist Rafail Aiukaev of Russia, bronze medalists Marat Mavlonov of Uzbekistan and Kang Sanghyun of South Korea pose during the awarding ceremony of the men’s +80kg event at Roma 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix held in Rome on Saturday. (Xinhua-Yonhap ) Kang Sang-hyeon, a member of Korea's men's heavyweight national team, claimed a bronze medal in the Men's +80kg division at the first event of the 2026 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series. The competition was held at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy.On the second day of competition, Kang demonstrated why he is regarded as a leading athlete in the heavyweight division, but narrowly missed out on a place in the final.On Saturday, Kang faced Simone Alessio (Italy) in the semifinals of the Men's +80kg division and was defeated 0–2 in rounds (10–11, 5–15). Although the match remained closely contested, Kang conceded crucial points in the decisive moments of each round, ending his bid for the final. As a result, he secured the bronze medal.According to Yonhap News Agency, Kang is a two-time World Champion and met Olympic Rankings No. 1 Alessio for the first time in Rome. The two athletes had never previously faced each other in major international competition, including the World Championships, as they had competed in different weight categories.Looking solely at their World Championships records, the semifinal was a clash between two two-time world champions. Kang won gold in the Men's –87kg division at the 2023 World Taekwondo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, and successfully defended his title in the Men's +87kg division at the 2025 World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi, China, becoming a consecutive two-time world champion.He is currently ranked No. 3 in the Olympic Rankings for the division and is considered a strong contender for qualification to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)