Women`s Judo ``Era of Kye Sun-Hui``

When she was only 16 years old, the `Judo Heroine of North Korea`, Kye Sun-Hui had surprisingly won the title in the 48 kg weight class of the Women`s Judo in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Kye, who participated in the Olympics just for the experience-building by the wild card given by the International Judo Federation (IJF), shocked the world`s Judo circles by winning the gold medal defeating Damura Rioko, `Japanese Judo Heroine`, with the myth of 84 straight wins.

Receiving the title of ``peoples` athlete`` from the standing committee of the NK`s Supreme Peoples Council and an apartment and a Benz from Kim Jong-Il, the NK`s National Defense Commission Chairman, Kye Sun-Hui became the top sports star of the North Korea.

But Kye had to raise her weight class, since her weight has increased with her physical growth at the age of puberty in the midst of her enjoying the comfortable life being treated as the peoples` athlete.

Since she was raised to 52 kg class, Kye has won the titles in the 1997, 1998 Asian Games, and the 1999 Asian Judo Championships. But she has consecutively failed to earn the gold medals in the World Judo Championships (2nd place in 1997, 3rd place in 1999) which is the world`s best stage, and in the Sydney Olympics (3rd place). Hence, most pointed out that it would be impossible for her to become the world champion in two weight classes. At last, she had to be satisfied with the bronze medal, relegated by a powerful Cuban in the Sydney Olympics.

However, Kye Sun-Hui, who has committed to the intensified training for the World Judo Championships for a last year since the Sydney Olympics, finally surprised the world again. She recovered the world title 5 years after the Atlanta Olympics only at the age of 21.

Kye, a powerful judo expert based on her gifted physical strength, won the title in the World Judo Championships following the victory in the Czech Open in this year. She opened by herself `the era of Kye Sun-Hui` in the world`s judo circles with the expectation that she will dominate the women`s judo for a while in the future.

Kim Sang-Ho hyangsan@donga.com