'Unprecedented Weigh-In Failure' Was Not Jung Soo-jin's Personal Fault; Judo Association Offers Official Apology, Promises "Thorough Investigation and Strict Action" [Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games]

*This content was translated by AI.

It was a humiliating administrative disaster. When national judo representative Jung Soo-jin, who competed in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, exposed the coaches' careless error in confirming weigh-in targets and suspicions of irresponsible cover-up by the association, causing a major uproar, the Korea Judo Association promised a thorough investigation into the truth along with an official apology.

On the 5th, the Korea Judo Association stated on its official homepage, "We are seriously aware of the gravity of the matter regarding the national representative athlete's weigh-in that occurred in the judo competition and the issues recently raised." The association added, "We deeply regret the situation in which Jung Soo-jin, who has spent a long time preparing for the Asian Games, was unable to compete, and we extend our deepest condolences for the mental difficulties she must have experienced. We sincerely apologize for causing great concern to judo enthusiasts and the public."

The association further stated, "As soon as the national team currently participating in the World Judo Championships returns home, we will conduct an objective and thorough investigation into the overall situation and circumstances at the time involving the athlete, coaches, and other relevant parties." It added, "We will clearly verify the facts regarding the process of confirming and communicating weigh-in targets and the team's response, and take strict measures based on regulations and principles. We will closely review the athlete management and tournament operation systems to establish measures to prevent recurrence."

The previous day, Jung Soo-jin exposed via her personal social media service (SNS) that she had been absurdly disqualified due to an administrative accident by the association during this Asian Games.

Jung Soo-jin, who won bronze medals for two consecutive years at the Junior Asian Championships in 2024 and 2025 and aimed for her first Asian Games medal, returned home without competing in a single match at this tournament, bearing the stigma of "weigh-in failure." It was initially reported that she had failed to manage her weight due to personal negligence, but it was revealed that the reality was due to a fatal administrative error and poor management by the coaching staff.

According to Jung Soo-jin's exposure, after passing the official weigh-in, she had perfectly adjusted her food intake to meet the random draw weigh-in standard of 50.4 kg on the morning of the competition day. However, immediately after the draw, the on-site coaches conveyed, "Only one male athlete was selected; you are not a weigh-in target. Since you have lost a lot of weight, eat quickly and recover." Even when Jung Soo-jin requested reconfirmation, the coaches repeated the same answer.

Just 15 minutes before the weigh-in deadline, shocking news was delivered to Jung Soo-jin, who was warming up and consuming porridge, bananas, and ion drinks for quick recovery ahead of her first match. Late in receiving notice that she was indeed a weigh-in target, Jung Soo-jin desperately attempted to lose weight by forcibly vomiting the food she had consumed and even cutting off her hair, but ultimately failed the weigh-in by exceeding the limit by 100 g.

Jung Soo-jin cried out, "My image of crying while vomiting during the last 15 minutes, with my cut-off hair, kneeling down and begging for just three more minutes, felt endlessly miserable."

The shock did not end there. Jung Soo-jin also exposed circumstances of cover-up and blame-shifting by the coaching staff and the Judo Association. While the coaches said, "We will take responsibility when we return to Korea," they attempted to silence her by saying, "If it ends this way, we can quietly wrap it up." The association side allegedly informed the media that the disqualification was due to personal negligence, thereby facilitating indiscriminate criticism and speculation directed at the athlete.

Jung Soo-jin confessed, "I know that I may not be able to continue my athletic career," adding, "Rather than continuing sports with a broken mind while bearing the stigma of being a 'national shame weigh-in failure athlete,' I wrote this post to reveal the grievous facts."

The desperate cry of a promising athlete who had her first Asian Games stage ruined in vain by the fatal mistakes and administrative chaos of the coaches has engulfed the entire judo and sports community in fierce aftershocks.

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*This content was translated by AI.