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Judoka Lee Ha-rim takes silver in men's -60 kilograms

Published: 24 Sep. 2023, 18:28 Updated: 24 Sep. 2023, 23:15

Lee Ha-rim, wearing white, loses to Chinese Taipei's Yang Yun Wei in the final match of the men's judo -60 kilograms division at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Sunday. [YONHAP]

Korea’s Lee Ha-rim bagged a silver medal in the -60 kilograms division of men’s judo, marking the nation’s first medal in the sport at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Sunday.

Lee, 26, lost to Chinese Taipei’s Yang Yun Wei, 25, who won by waza-ari with a seoi-nage, which literally translates to “over the back throw.”

In earlier rounds on Sunday, Lee defeated Hong Kong’s Lai Yiu Long, 22, Turkmenistan’s Aybek Omirov, 20, and Kazakhstan’s Magzhan Shamshadin, 26, winning each contest by ippon, the highest score awarded in judo.

He was a bronze medalist in the last Asian Games, which took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2018.

Korea had four total medal chances in judo on Sunday, with judokas Jung Ye-rin and An Ba-ul competing for bronze. Jung notched a medal, with An still to compete as of press time Sunday.

In judo, two bronze medals are awarded in each weight class.

Judoka Lee Hye-kyeong, 27, qualified for a bronze medal match against Uzbekistan’s Khalimajon Kurbonova in the -48 kilograms division of women’s judo but withdrew from the contest.

Modern pentathlete Kim Sun-woo won Korea’s first medal at the Asian Games, taking home silver in the multi-discipline event on Sunday. Kang Wan-jin then won Korea’s first gold medal in the men’s individual poomsae, in taekwondo.

Korea sent its biggest Asiad delegation yet to Hangzhou with a total of 1,140 athletes and officials.

BY MARY YANG [[email protected]]