'Descendant of Independence Activist, Proud'... Judo 57kg Huh Mimi Defeats Mongolian Nemesis to Reach Semifinals [Paris Olympics]

South Korean judoka Heo Mimi (21, Gyeongbuk Sports Council) defeated her nemesis and advanced to the semifinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

World No. 3 Heo Mimi won by waza-ari against Enghrilen Laghbatog (Mongolia, No. 13) in the women's 57kg quarterfinals held on the 29th at the Champs de Mars arena in Paris, France. Although Laghbatog is ranked lower than Heo Mimi, she had previously been undefeated against Heo Mimi with a 3-0 record, making her a nemesis.

Heo Mimi had been blocked by Laghbatog at crucial moments. She lost to Laghbatog in the bronze medal matches at the World Championships both last year and the year before, and also suffered defeat in their face-off at the Asian Championships final this year.

However, Heo Mimi announced the end of this nemesis relationship at the world's biggest competition and secured a spot in the semifinals. From the start, Heo Mimi attempted seoi-nage (shoulder throw) to take control of the momentum. She also induced Laghbatog to receive two shido penalties, putting her opponent at risk of disqualification.

There was also a moment of crisis. With about one minute left in the match, Laghbatog tried to kick Heo Mimi backward by lying down, but Heo Mimi defended and did not fall on her back, thus avoiding conceding a waza-ari. However, she complained of pain in her abdomen where she was kicked. With about 15 seconds remaining, Heo Mimi caught her opponent's leg and threw her backward, scoring a waza-ari.

Born in 2002 to a Korean father and Japanese mother, Heo Mimi renounced her Japanese nationality in 2021 and joined the Gyeongbuk Sports Council judo team, wearing the Taeguk mark from the following year. She is the fifth-generation descendant of independence activist Heo Seok (1857?1920), who was imprisoned for posting anti-Japanese leaflets during the Japanese colonial period.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.