Final Olympic judo trials to decide berths to Beijing
Korean judokas Lee Won-hee, left, and Wang Gi-chun shake before the final Olympic trials that begin today in Suwon, Gyeonggi. By Lee Young-mok
Only one will represent Korea at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The two judokas will compete in the third and final phase of the Korean Olympic judo trials today in Suwon, Gyeonggi. Olympic berths are awarded based on points earned at international events and the two previous trials.
Wang, 20, has 48 points. Lee, 26, has 38 points. A victory at the final trial is worth 30 points and the runner-up will get 24 points.
The final trial is open for the top eight scorers from the previous two trials.
Barring a major upset, Wang and Lee will meet in the final, just as they did in the second trial.
There is one caveat this time: Those finishing out of the top three at the final trial will not go to Beijing regardless of their previous point total.
Wang is to Lee what the Chicago Bulls were to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA during the late 1980s — a threat to the throne. Lee, the winner of the first trial last fall, has been the face of Korean judo. He hopes to become the first Korean to repeat as an Olympic judo gold medal winner. Wang, on the other hand, is the brash up-and-comer who defeated Lee at the second trial in March. Whether Wang can do like the Bulls in the early 1990s and start winning titles remains to be seen. It all comes down to the decisive Olympic trial today.
Though just 20, Wang is approaching this as his last shot at the Olympics.
“If I don’t capitalize on this chance, I am not sure if I will have another shot,” Wang said. “Four years is a long time to wait.
“If Won-hee beats me, I will accept it and move on,” Wang continued. “But I am going to make sure it doesn’t happen.”
Lee declined an interview, citing the need to focus on training.
“I didn’t do interviews leading up to the Athens Olympics,” Lee said. “I want to concentrate on defending my gold medal.”
Lee has to get to Beijing first. To do so, he must finish at least second and hope Wang finishes out of the top three. Wang can clinch a berth with a runner-up finish.
Kim Gwan-hyun, who represented the Korean judo team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, predicts a close match.
“Skill-wise, these two are neck and neck,” Kim said. “Wang is a little more adept at defending his ground and applying quick counterattacks.”
Both judokas are battling foot injuries. Lee competed with a right ankle injury all of 2007. On April 22 he had an operation to remove one of five screws holding together a metal plate in his ankle. The screw had come loose and started moving inside his foot.
Wang isn’t pain-free, either. He rolled his right ankle in a recent practice and just came out of the cast.
“I could barely walk for a while,” Wang said. “But I’ve gotten better. I am a bit worried about my conditioning, but I am ready to go.”
Thanks to a new twist in the rules, a judoka can actually lose a match in the event and still win the trial.
The loser from the first final will battle the winner of the consolation round, and the winner of that match will meet the winner from the first final.
If the first final winner wins that showdown, he will be declared the champion. If the first winner loses his match, he will get another chance immediately afterward.
jeeho@joongang.co.kr
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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