Lim Ae-ji saved Korean boxing. 3-2 victory over the runner-up at the World Championship. I won a medal for the first time in 12 years
Aug 02, 2024
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Lim Ae-ji (25, Hwasun County Office) fought Colombia's Yeni Marcella Arias Castaneda (33) in the women's 54kg quarterfinals at the North Arena in Paris, France, on the 2nd (Korean time).
He was expected to suffer from the 2023 World Championship runner-up, but he overpowered his daredevil opponent with a fast and accurate punch, which is his strength.
Castaneda was active from the beginning. I rushed to Lim Ae-ji, who was looking around and looking at the timing, throwing a punch. Lim Ae-ji's planned attack did not seem easy, but as he avoided the opponent's punch, several scenes of the counter punch entering cleanly were seen, and that led to a score. Lim Ae-ji dominated the first round with a score of 3-2.
Castaneda was more active in the second round. Lim Ae-ji also threw a counter punch while avoiding Castaneda's punch. Castaneda continued to attack, but the accuracy was poor. At the end of the second round, they got tangled up with each other and fell down due to Lim Ae-ji. The second round ended with quite intense exchange of punches. Lim Ae-ji was also dominant in the second round with a score of 3-2.
In the final third round, Castaneda approached to turn the tables, but Lim Ae-ji countered with a high-precision punch using a long reach. Punch exchanges continued even though he was physically exhausted. In the third round, more referees scored Lim Ae-ji's dominance with a score of 4-1. Lim Ae-ji won the decision with a final total of 3 to 2.
Only two Korean boxing players, Oh Yeon-ji and Lim Ae-ji, competed in the Olympics. In June, he was able to come to Paris after winning a dramatic ticket in the second world qualifying round for the 2024 Paris Olympics in Bangkok, Thailand.
Oh Yeon-ji (Ulsan Sports Council), who weighs 60kg, a sign of Korean women's boxing, was eliminated after losing to Taiwan's Usui in the round of 32, and only Lim Ae-ji remained, and won the Brazilian in the round of 16 by a 4-1 decision to reach the quarterfinals. If they reach the semifinals, they will secure a bronze medal and win a medal for the first time in 12 years since Han Soon-cheol of the men's lightweight division won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, and Lim Ae-ji eventually defeated the enemy to achieve her dream of a medal in Korean boxing.
Lim Ae-ji will compete with Turkiye's Hatice Akbas on the 4th to advance to the finals. If he wins, he will fight the winner of China's Zhang Yuan and North Korea's Bang Chul-mi for the gold medal.
indyk@sportschosun.com
