"Life full of judo." Hyun Sook-hee said, "On July 26th, an unforgettable day, as a player and as a judge."

"Life full of judo." Hyun Sook-hee said, "On July 26th, an unforgettable day, as a player and as a judge."

Blog Article

There's a date I'll never forget. It's July 26.

At the Georgia Congress Center in Atlanta, U.S., on July 26, 1996, a young judo girl with a baby face tightening her black belt and finishing the 52-kilogram judo tournament at the Atlanta Olympics. She struggled hard against Maricler Resto (France), the world's strongest team, but lost. She did not cry. She held the silver medal tightly, vowing to go further.

Twenty-five years have passed. At the Tokyo Ballroom in Japan on July 26, 2021, the girl stood on the mat as a judge, not as a middle-aged player. She disappeared from her young face and her gray hair grew bigger, but her grim expression remained the same.

This is the story of Hyun Sook-hee, coach of Kwangyoung Girls' High School, who served as a silver medalist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and a referee at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.

◆A judo suit that fit perfectly
Judo was not the first time for me. I learned track and field for the first time when I was a fourth grader. Her athletic ability was so good that she was accepted as a runner at Seoul National University of Education. After recognizing her talent early on, the career path professor recommended judo. She has grown faster than others. When she was a ninth grader, she ranked third in a national team competition, beating college students. She became a member of the national team three years after starting judo. "I saw Professor Ha Young-joo win a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, but at that time, I never imagined that I would be a judo player," coach Hyun said with a smile.

He even stood on stage at the long-awaited Olympic Games. He was confident in the judo final at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. His opponent was Maricler Resto, the strongest in the world, but he had previously won at other competitions. It was not easy. He garnered three effects, but his effective performance was ultimately lost at first. There was no video review at the time. Though he was disappointed, he still had to win the silver medal. "I am honored to participate in the Olympics, but I think I won the silver medal," coach Hyun said. "Actually, I had an injury before going to the Olympics, so the organizing committee was concerned about my selection. Back then, the coach believed me that I had to take him home unconditionally, but since I won the medal, I think I finished it well."
I dreamed of my second Olympics. I sweated countless times, but my injury was a problem. This is why I chose to retire early. "I am managing my players well now, but I didn't have a rehabilitation system then. My knee was so bad, but I thought surgery would end my career, so I just held on. My body got worse," Hyun said.

He did not give up. After retirement, he became a referee in 1999 while serving as a coach and studying. It was the first time that he was on the mat as a referee. Of all national teams, there was a huge competition called the national team selection match. "I was blindsided and confident. I was bold enough to judge half of the team, and one round of the team," coach Hyun said. "This is a valuable experience for me to study harder."

In the end, his dream came true. He received an English e-mail in February 2021, when he was constantly striving to become an international referee. He said that he was selected as a referee for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (to be held in 2021) by the International Judo Federation (IJF). He was invited to the second Olympics not as an athlete but as a referee. He pierced a needle hole. Only 16 judgements in the world get a chance. This is why some say that it is more difficult for them to be on the stage as a referee than an athlete. "I was so happy that I even remember the date. It was February 8. It was an unforgettable joy," Hyun said, recalling the past.

There is a reason why I can't forget July 26. On July 26, 2021, the 25th anniversary of winning a silver medal at the Atlanta Olympics, Hyun stood on the stage again as a referee. He said, "I have made many commitments. As a judge is a person who makes decisions like a judge, I made decisions in public and honestly, and thoroughly prepared not to cry by mistake. I didn't practice every single fingertip wrong. I was able to finish the Olympics well because there were people monitoring me in Korea." 토토사이트

◆ That unforgettable name
"I have an unforgettable friend. I have a really close friend," Hyun said. The main character was Kye Soon-hee, a judo star from North Korea. They first met 16-year-old Kye Soon-hee at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. The 23-year-old Hyun Suk-hee first encountered the 16-year-old Kye Soon-hee. She held onto Kye Soon-hee's hand, which was in a hurry because she had no one to warm up. "I didn't have a partner. We warmed up together because we could speak Korean well. He was young and strong. He seemed to have a lot of confidence and distribution. I just remember saying in words of encouragement, "When I caught you, Ryoko Tamura of Japan is no match for me."

A word of encouragement for Kye Soon-hee, who competed in the 48kg class, was the decisive moment for her to win the gold medal. Tamura she met in the final was a star in Japanese judo, which was the strongest in the world at the time, with 84 consecutive wins. In comparison, Kye Soon-hee was an unknown athlete with no experience in international competitions. Kye Soon-hee was not nervous. She won the title with a bold attack in the final, breaking Tamura's winning streak. She became the first gold medalist in judo in North Korea's history and the youngest ever in history. Kye Soon-hee gave credit to coach Hyun. "I was able to do well because Hyun Sook-hee from South Korea instilled confidence in me," she said in an interview at the time.

They continued their relationship. They met again at the 1997 World Championships. Gye Soon-hee raised her weight class to 52 kg. This is why she met Coach Hyun in uniform. Hyun lost to Gye Soon-hee and won the bronze medal, while Gye Soon-hee won the silver medal. "I couldn't win. I felt like I gained more strength than during the Olympics," Hyun said. "At that time, Gye Soon-hee even thanked me during the Olympics." As they knew that they would not meet easily, their friendship became much more affectionate. "We exchanged gifts. I even gave them a present, and they were taken away from me. I didn't even think about that because I was pure in heart," Hyun said.

We met again when Hyun was preparing to make the Olympic judgment. We were not able to have an in-person conversation. We barely managed to exchange greetings through IJF staff. Hyun said, "If I were to tell you