PARIS, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) — Freestyle wrestler Lee Hanbit lost her first match of the Paris Olympics on Friday, after receiving a last-minute entry into the competition.
Lee lost to Luisa Niemesch of Germany 3-0 in the round of 16 in the women’s 62-kilogram freestyle event at Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris.
Lee didn’t initially qualify for the Olympics, after losing in the semifinals of the Asian qualification tournament in April. But Lee gained entry last week after Mun Hyon-gyong of North Korea withdrew from the Olympics.
But Lee couldn’t get anything going against the 2024 European championships silver medalist.
If Niemesch advanced to the final, Lee would have earned a second life in the repechage round. However, Niemesch lost to Grace Bullen of Norway in the quarterfinals later Friday.
Lee was the first South Korean female wrestler in 12 years to compete at an Olympic Games.
In this Reuters photo, Lee Hanbit of South Korea (L) competes against Luisa Niemesch of Germany in the round of 16 in the women’s 62-kilogram freestyle wrestling event at the Paris Olympics at Champ-de-Mars Arena in the French capital on Aug. 9, 2024. (Yonhap)
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