He beat the #1 ranked player in the world. Kim defeated all the top ranked opponents to reach the final.
World No. 24 Kim Yoo-jin (Ulsan Metropolitan Sports Association) defeated world No. 1 Luo Zhongx (China) 2-1 (7-0 1-7 10-3) in the quarterfinals of the women’s 57-kilogram taekwondo event at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, on Monday (Aug. 8).
South Korea won three gold medals in the women’s 57-kilogram category at the Games. From Sydney 2000, the first Games where taekwondo was included as an official sport, Jung Jae-eun won gold, followed by Jang Ji-won and Lim Su-jung at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
But since then, no one has brought home a medal. Kim Yoo-jin will be the first Korean to win a medal in this weight class in 16 years.
In the round of 16, Kim defeated world No. 5 Hatice Ilgun (TURKEYE) with a round score of 2-0 (7-5 7-2). In the quarterfinals, she defeated world No. 4 Skylar Park (CAN) 2-0 (7-6 9-5).
Taekwondo at this tournament is a best-of-three rounds with two minutes per round and a one-minute break between rounds.
Yoo Jin Kim landed a head kick with 59 seconds left in the first round. No points were awarded, but a video review awarded three points. The same happened with 19 seconds left. Kim landed a headbutt and was awarded three points on video review, giving him a 7-0 lead.
In the second round, Luo Jongs scored the first four points. A threatening head attack was successful. With one point in hand, Kim Yoo-jin looked to turn the 파워볼게임 tables. He then called for a video review, claiming that Luo Zhong had landed a head attack, but the point was disallowed.
Kim couldn’t keep up. The gap widened as she kept losing points. In the second round, she lost 1-7.
Kim started the third round well, taking a 3-0 lead with a shot to the face. After that, she took control of the game with a series of face attacks. The third round was a blowout. Kim won 10-3 to advance to the final.
Kim’s strength is her ability to utilize her large height of 183 centimeters. In her weight class, she has an advantage in height compared to European players. However, she is inferior in quickness. Therefore, before the Paris Olympics, she focused on aerobic training to improve her quickness and stamina.
Kim won gold at the 2024 Asian Championships in Danang and bronze at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Kim then earned South Korea’s final ticket to Paris after a twisty road to continental selection.
Meanwhile, Park Tae-joon defeated Gassim Magomedov to win gold in the 58-kilogram taekwondo final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Monday. It was the first gold medal for South Korean taekwondo in this weight class. It was also the first gold medal won by a South Korean male athlete in 16 years since Son Tae-jin (68kg) and Cha Dong-min (over 80kg) in Beijing 2008. Kim Yoo-jin is looking to build on this momentum and challenge for a medal.