The story behind not being able to sing the national anthem despite memorizing it: "Seeing the Taegeukgi brought tears to my eyes, and memories of difficult times came flooding back" — Judo 57kg class triumph [Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games]

*This content was translated by AI.

Even though her Korean was still not fluent, she had worked hard to memorize the national anthem, yet she could not sing it at the very moment she had dreamed of most. For Heo Mi-mi (24, Gyeongbuk Provincial Sports Council), the emotion was so overwhelming that it was difficult to suppress her feelings.

Heo Mi-mi claimed victory in the women's 57kg judo final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held on the 1st at the Aichi International Arena in Japan, by defeating Terbish Ariunjargal (Mongolia) with a waza-ari win.

Heo Mi-mi, the fifth-generation descendant of independence activist Heo Seok, is an athlete who was born and raised in Japan. Nevertheless, following her grandmother's firm teachings, she lived with pride in being Korean, and in accordance with her grandmother's wishes after her passing in 2021, she renounced her Japanese citizenship and moved to Korea.

After wearing the Taegeuk mark and winning a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Heo Mi-mi immediately received significant attention. She then resolved to win a gold medal and have the national anthem resound.

However, the process was arduous. Ahead of this tournament, she even suffered a shoulder injury. The immense attention also became a burden. Although it was difficult to maintain 100% condition, Heo Mi-mi gave her all.

She displayed a formidable momentum from the round of 16 through the semifinals with ippon wins and penalty victories, but in the final, she engaged in a fierce, no-holds-barred battle with Terbish. After scoring a waza-ari just 11 seconds into the match, she could not score any more points. The opponent fought back just as strongly, and Heo Mi-mi ultimately stood on the highest step of the podium after struggling to defend against attacks.

Having overcome a difficult period, her emotion was profound. According to NEWS1, Heo Mi-mi stated in the mixed zone after the match, "The expectations from those around me were so high before this tournament that it honestly became a burden. When I suffered my shoulder injury, it was the hardest time of my life. I also worried about whether I could get back on my feet." She added, "But I am truly happy that I overcame all of that and won a gold medal."

There was one person who came to mind first. Heo Mi-mi said, "I will bring the gold medal before my grandmother's spirit," adding, "If it had not been for my grandmother's last words, I wonder if I would have been able to come to Korea and spend such a happy time like this. I want to convey how truly grateful I am to her."

She stood on the podium but could not sing the first verse of the national anthem that she had memorized through effort at the actual ceremony. Heo Mi-mi said, "Seeing the Taegeukgi made me emotional, so I sang along in my heart." She continued, "I had memorized it all, but when I stood on the podium and saw the Taegeukgi while hearing the national anthem, memories of difficult times came back, and tears welled up. So I couldn't sing properly because I was trying to hold back my tears."

It was a moment she had dreamed of for a long time. Heo Mi-mi revealed, "At the Paris Olympics, I said that next time I would definitely raise the Taegeukgi to the highest point. Seeing it actually happen made me feel 'my efforts have truly borne fruit,' and I was happy."

Heo Mi-mi's journey continues. She is aiming for a double crown in the mixed team event at this tournament, and she is determined to replicate the glory of that day at the Los Angeles (LA) Olympics two years later. "My next goal is a gold medal at the 2028 LA Olympics," she emphasized. "Since this tournament is not over yet, I will focus on winning another gold medal in the mixed team event for now."

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*This content was translated by AI.