Lee Jun-hwan Wins Precious Bronze Medal Without Signature Move Despite Knee Injury

South Korean national judo team member Lee Jun-hwan (Pohang City Hall) is widely recognized as one of the country's best practitioners of the drop seoi-nage (shoulder throw).

His lightning-fast movements to throw opponents at every competition earned him the nickname "Lightning Man" from the International Judo Federation (IJF).

However, over international competitions held during the past year, Lee has rarely been able to showcase his signature shoulder throw.

The reason was a knee injury.

He spent a long time focusing on rehabilitation last year following a left knee ligament tear, and in June of this year, he even injured his right knee at the 2026 Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam.

Knee injuries were fatal for Lee, whose main weapon was the shoulder throw.

With both knees unable to bend properly, even attempting the shoulder throw was not easy.

Under these circumstances, expectations labeling him as the "strongest gold medal favorite" ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games also served as a burden.

Carrying the pressure of having to win a gold medal with a physical condition that prevented him from properly using his main technique, Lee stepped onto the mat in Nagoya.

Despite his uncomfortable physical condition, Lee poured out everything he could deliver.

Facing Hong Kong's Lee Kwok Wing in the quarterfinal, he secured a yuko by gripping the belt and added a waza-ari with an outer leg sweep (osoto-gari) to win.

In the semifinal against Sotaro Fujiwara of Japan, he managed the match skillfully, prompting the opponent to receive two shido (penalties).

Although it was an advantageous situation where Fujiwara receiving one more shido would mean victory, Lee failed to clear the final hurdle.

He suffered a defeat by waza-ari after conceding an inner thigh sweep (uchimata) technique during extra time (golden score).

Failing to advance to the final, Lee also struggled in the bronze medal match against Elias Farhizgar of Iran.

Without being able to bend his knees sufficiently, his attempts at the shoulder throw were easily blocked by his opponent.

Unable to settle the match during regulation time, Lee conceded a yuko just 17 seconds into extra time, seemingly bringing the match to an end.

However, following a video review, the referee overturned the decision, and Lee was granted a reprieve.

Having seized another chance, Lee attempted a knee armlock (hiza-gatame) to force an ippon and claimed the bronze medal.

It was a precious medal won virtually while sealing away his shoulder throw.

He also succeeded in winning medals in two consecutive tournaments, following the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games where he won a silver medal.

Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone after the match, Lee said, "After the defeat at the Hangzhou Games, I prepared hard to win a gold medal, but I think my efforts fell a little short," adding, "I will keep pushing forward without stopping toward the Los Angeles Olympics."

He continued, "In the semifinal, I was in an advantageous position after taking two shido, but I think I impatiently closed in and attempted an attack out of a desire to throw my opponent and win," reflecting, "Reviewing the match made me feel that I need to prepare much more."

Regarding his knee condition, he blamed himself, saying, "(Because my knees wouldn't bend well) there were impacts such as having to grip with only one hand, but I don't want to make excuses that I lost because of the injury," adding, "I lost because my skills were lacking."

He further stated, "After returning home, I will receive good treatment to fully recover and get into physical shape where I can freely execute all techniques, including the shoulder throw."

When asked what thoughts he had when the opposing athlete was awarded a yuko during extra time in the bronze medal match, he replied, "I just focused on the plays I needed to make next."

"If the decision had stood, I would have lost right there, so there was no room to have other thoughts."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.