# Heo Mi Mi “Grandma, I won a medal wearing that Taegeuk mark”


South Korean judo team member Heo Mimi holds up the silver medal she received in the women's -57kg judo event at the 2024 Paris Olympics held at the Champ de Mars Arena in Paris, France on the 30th (Korean time).

I wanted to dedicate the gold medal to my grandmother, but it’s such a shame. Still, I’m happy that I followed my grandmother’s will and competed in the Olympics wearing the Taegeuk mark and won a medal.”

Heo Mimi (22, Gyeongsangbuk-do Sports Council), who won a silver medal due to an unclear decision, shook off her disappointment and smiled brightly. Heo

Mimi won a silver medal after losing to Christa Deguchi (Canada) in the final of the women’s 57 kg class judo at the 2024 Paris Olympics held at the Champ de Mars Arena in Paris, France on the morning of the 30th (Korean time).

With this, Heo Mi-mi became the first judo medalist at the Paris Games. Previously, the national judo team had four weight classes that all failed to win medals on the 27th and 28th, but Heo Mi-mi cleared the blockage.

In addition, Heo Mi-mi won the first women's judo medal in eight years since Jeong Bo-gyeong, who won the silver medal in the women's 48kg class at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

After the game, Heo Mi-mi said, “I’m so sad and I’m not feeling so good. Although it’s not the gold medal I’ve been aiming for since I was little, I’m happy to have won a medal at the Olympics wearing the Taegeuk mark. I want to encourage myself that I did well.”

The person who will be the happiest about Heo Mi-mi’s silver medal is her grandmother, who passed away three years ago. Heo Mi-mi, a descendant of independence activist Heo Seok, was born to a Korean father and a Japanese mother and grew up in Japan. In 2021, she chose Korean citizenship in accordance with her grandmother’s will, “I really want to wear the Taegeuk mark and go to the Olympics.” Three years later, she competed in the Olympics as a representative of Korea and stood on the podium, as her grandmother had wished . Heo Mi-mi said, “My grandmother treated me warmly since I was little. I’m so grateful for that love,” and added, “I wanted to show my grandmother a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, but I’m so sad. But I’m glad I can show her an Olympic medal like this.” When asked if she had anything to say to her grandmother, she said, “I’ve worked really hard in judo up until today. “I will continue to work hard to become a better judo athlete,” she pledged. Heo Mi-mi said, “I think it was a good decision to change my nationality to Korean. I am proud and happy to be able to step onto the Olympic stage wearing the Taegeuk mark,” and added, “I want to show my father (who opened the way for me to become a judo athlete) the silver medal.”

It was a meaningful achievement, but there was regret in the judgment. After failing to decide the match within the regular time (4 minutes) and entering the golden score, Heo Mi-mi received a third instruction and a penalty for a feint attack. Kim Mi-jung, the head coach of the women's judo team, expressed regret over the unclear judgment, saying, "I think the French referee judged (Heo) Mi-mi's technique as a feint because her movements were small and she was sitting down. It can be judged differently depending on the perspective, but Mimi did not use a feint attack." Heo Mi-mi said, "I don't know if that attack was a feint attack. However, it's part of the game, so there's nothing I can do. I'll pay attention to that part and play next time." She also memorized the lyrics of the national anthem in order to powerfully sing it while standing on the top of the podium. She said, "I couldn't do it in Paris, but I will definitely win a gold medal at the next Olympics and sing the national anthem on the podium. I will be able to do it in four years when I'm older and my stamina will be better." Heo Mi-mi's favorite celebrity is BTS' V. He said, “I want to meet V someday, but I wonder if I can meet him since he’s a silver medalist and not a gold medalist,” and smiled awkwardly. Heo Mi-mi is a judo athlete and a college student. She is a senior at the prestigious Waseda University and said, “I’ve had a busy time with the Olympics and other things, but I think I’ll be able to earn all the credits I need by graduation.” [안전놀이터](https://www.outlookindia.com/plugin-play/2023년-11월-메이저-토토사이트-순위-추천-토토-안전놀이터-top15-news-332207
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