Lee Hyun-ji, the daughter of a wrestling player, conquers the world of judo at the age of 19... “I believed in my abilities”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Kyung-yoon = Lee Hyeon-ji (19, Yongin University), the next generation star of the Korean women's judo women's heavyweight class, who won the world championship for the first time in her life, said of her victory, saying, "I fought believing in my ability."

Hyun-ji Lee won the gold medal by defeating Roman Dico (France) with a half leg slalom followed by a side push in the finals of the women's over 78kg class at the 2026 International Judo Federation (IJF) World Championships held at the National Gymnastics Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan on the 10th (local time).

In an interview with IJF after the game, he said, "I am really happy to win the World Championships," and added, "I think I showed a high-quality performance today."

He continued, "This was my first time facing Dicko, so I was very nervous before the match. However, I showed good performance every time I played against a player I was facing for the first time. So, I believed in my abilities and pushed through the entire match."

He added, "I'm really proud of the fact that I was able to bring this gold medal to Korea."

Lee Hyun-ji is the daughter of Jeju Island Ssireum Association Executive Director Lee Chi-hoon, a former Ssireum player who won a prize at the National Sports Festival, and grew up in Jeju Island.

Lee Hyun-ji, who inherited her father's athletic talent, dominated the youth stage using a waist kick similar to a wrestling technique as her main weapon.

He surprised the Korean judo world by winning the 2024 IJF World Youth Judo Championship when he was a second-year student at Namnyeong High School, and during his third year of high school, he caused a stir by defeating world-class players, including defeating Japan's Arai Mao, winner of the Tokyo Grand Slam, in one round.

Last year, he grew one step further by engaging in friendly competition with Kim Ha-yoon (Ansan City Hall), a leading figure in the same weight class.

Lee Hyun-ji is currently evaluated as a top female heavyweight athlete, possessing skill, strength, and stamina.

The domestic judo world expects that if Lee Hyun-ji develops at the current rate, she will be able to aim for a gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

IJF highlighted Lee Hyeon-ji’s victory that day.

IJF said, "Lee Hyun-ji is a promising player who has recently defeated the world's strongest players," and added, "Even at the young age of 19, she reached the top in this competition, where many Olympic and world championship winners participated, and showed off the skills she had honed to perfection."

He continued, "In the finals, Dicko pushed Lee Hyun-ji with a performance reminiscent of his prime, but Lee Hyun-ji overtook Dicko with powerful techniques and won half of the match. Afterwards, without any delay, he connected with a press and won the round."

He also said, “Lee Hyun-ji is an explosive player who puts all her effort into every technique.”