"So Close, Lee Hyun-ji!"... Heartbreaking Comeback Loss Just Shy of Gold

[Anchor]

It was a deeply disappointing day for the national judo team, as they missed out on gold medals that were right within their grasp twice. In particular, Lee Hyun-ji suffered a heartbreaking comeback defeat in the closing moments of the women's over-78kg final.

Reporting from Nagoya, this is Han Sung-hee.

[Reporter]

Nineteen-year-old Lee Hyun-ji, a rising star in the women's over-78kg division who has been garnering global attention, showcased overwhelming dominance from her very first Asian Games debut match.

In the quarterfinals, she slammed a Thai opponent onto the mat just seven seconds into the match to secure a lightning-fast victory, and she advanced to the final by overwhelmingly overpowering a Japanese opponent in the semifinals.

Even in the final against China's Xu Xinran—against whom she had lost all three of her previous encounters—she unleashed an aggressive offensive from the start, securing a yuko with an outer leg sweep (badatari) one minute and 20 seconds in.

A gold medal seemed right within reach, but a single mistake soon tripped her up.

While her left arm was gripped, she was taken down by her opponent's outer leg sweep, resulting in an ippon call.

Left dazed by the missed victory, Lee had to settle for a silver medal in her first Asian Games.

[Lee Hyun-ji / National Judo Team: I think I simply lost because I fell short. I studied the Chinese athlete a lot, but since I couldn't win today, I will definitely beat her next time.]

Kim Min-ju, competing in the women's under-78kg class, also shed tears of regret. She had torn her knee cruciate ligament earlier this year, but stepped onto the Asian Games stage after postponing surgery.

After a grueling match that went into overtime in the final against a Japanese opponent, she burst into tears after conceding the gold medal in vain upon receiving her third shido (penalty) for false attack.

Kim Min-jong, a Paris Olympic silver medalist in the men's over-100kg class who was tipped as a title favorite, along with Kim Jong-hoon in the 90kg class and Han Ju-yeop in the under-100kg class, all claimed bronze medals.

The South Korean judo team will make one final push for a gold-medal throw in the mixed team event tomorrow (October 3).

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The men's boxing team, seeking their first gold medal in 12 years, both failed to clear the final hurdle as Jang Dong-hwan in the 60kg class and Kim Min-sung in the 80kg class each took home silver medals.

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In taekwondo, Ahn Hyang-shik in the men's 58kg class and Kwak Min-ju in the women's 67kg class only managed to add two bronze medals, denting the pride of the sport's birthplace.

(Video by Park Hyun-cheol | Video Editing by Lee Jae-sung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.