Korean Wrestling, All Eliminated in Round 1... No Medals for 2 Consecutive Olympics [Paris Olympics]

Ended Without Medals for Two Consecutive Competitions

The South Korean wrestling team was disappointed at the 2024 Paris Olympics as none of its members advanced past the first round.

On the 9th (local time), Lee Hanbit (Wanju County Office), competing in the women's freestyle 62kg category, lost 0-3 in the round of 16 to Louisa Niemesch (Germany) in her first match.

Earlier, Lee Seungchan (Gangwon Sports Council), considered a dark horse in the men's Greco-Roman 130kg category, was completely defeated 0-7 by Cuban wrestling legend Mija?n L?pez in the first round of the round of 16 held on the 5th at the Champs de Mars Arena in Paris, France. Due to L?pez advancing to the final, Lee entered the repechage but lost 0-9 to Amin Mirzazadeh (Iran).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Seungjun (Sungshin Cement), who competed in the men's Greco-Roman 97kg category, also lost 0-9 to Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia) in the first round of the round of 16, and was completely defeated 2-8 by Rustam Asakalov (Uzbekistan) in the repechage, ending his competition.

The three South Korean representatives did not secure a single win in this tournament. The combined score of the three athletes was a disappointing 2 points scored and 36 points conceded.

Once considered an 'Olympic golden sport' for South Korea, wrestling has shown poorer results since Samsung, which served as the main sponsor until 2012, withdrew. After Samsung's departure, wrestling factions engaged in internal conflicts, and the on-site competitiveness has been continuously declining.

South Korean wrestling won only one bronze medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and recorded an 'Olympic no-medal' outcome for the first time in 49 years since the 1972 Munich Olympics at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At the Asian Games, the team also showed poor performance, winning only two bronze medals. It was the first time in 57 years since the 1966 Bangkok Games that South Korea failed to win a silver medal at the Asian Games.