HANGZHOU -- South Korea's Park Hye-jin won gold in the women's -53kg taekwondo competition at the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games on Tuesday.
In the gold medal match at Lin'an Sports Culture & Exhibition Centre in Hangzhou, China, Park outlasted Lin Wei Chun of Chinese Taipei 2-1.
The medal is South Korea's second gold from taekwondo kyorugi, or sparring, competition, following the previous day's gold from the men's -58kg by Jang Jun.
After winning the tight first round 7-6, she lost the second round 7-9 due to her Chinese opponent's last-minute kicks and a penalty. In the deciding third round, she scored three straight punches and kicks to extend her early lead to 10-6. Despite some penalties, she maintained the lead and sealed the victory at 12-9.
It is the first time that the 24-year-old taekwondo practitioner has topped the podium at an international multisport competition since her debut.
She was eliminated in the second and the third round at the world championships in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
"I want to be remembered as an athlete who is consistent and hardworking, instead of an athlete with good results," she said in a mixed-zone interview. (Yonhap)
