KORCompeting in the women's 57kg judo final at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on October 1, Heo defeated Ariunzaya Terbish of Mongolia by a waza-ari to win the championship.
Heo is the first South Korean judoka to win a gold medal at this tournament.
Heo secured a waza-ari with a surprise attack just 12 seconds into the match.
Having seized the initiative, Heo then applied pressure on her opponent using ground techniques after sweeping her legs.
Afterward, Heo looked for opportunities while repeatedly attempting her signature left-handed seoi-nage (shoulder throw).
Although it did not lead to a scoring point.
From the middle of the match onward, she focused on defense, receiving a shido (penalty) with about 1 minute and 10 seconds remaining.
However, Heo displayed veteran game management, attempting a surprise shoulder throw with about 20 seconds left on the clock.
She then transitioned into a hold-down technique to run out the clock and secure her victory.
Prior to the final, she defeated Jomaryuet Raphael of Philippines and Tao Ying of China by ippon, and overcame Shukurjon Aminova of Uzbekistan by Hansoku-make (disqualification).
Born to a South Korean father and a Japanese mother as a Zainichi Korean, Heo chose South Korean citizenship in 2021 following the dying wish of her grandmother, who wanted to see her compete as a South Korean athlete.
Ahead of the Paris Olympics, she drew significant attention after it was revealed that she is a fifth-generation descendant of the independence activist Heo Seok.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, her first major international multi-sport competition, she took home the silver medal after a narrow defeat to Christa Deguchi of Canada following a controversial referee decision.
This marks Heo's first appearance in an Asian Games individual event.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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