Late bloomer wrestler Ryu fails to achieve grand slam
Ryu Han-Su of South Korea and Migran Arutyunyan of Armenia compete in the men’s Greco-Roman wrestling 66 kilogram class quarterfinal match during the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Tuesday. / Yonhap
By Choi Ha-young
Wrestler Ryu Han-su failed to win his first Olympic medal, Tuesday, losing his chance to achieve a grand slam in international competitions following his victories in the World Championship, Asia Championship, and Asian Games.
The 28-year-old was not a well-known wrestler. He had been a counterpart for other players’ training in the national team for nine years before 2013. He was always under the shadow of his best friend Kim Hyeon-woo, the gold medalist in the 2012 London Games.
Ryu got a ticket to the Olympics in the 66 kilogram class, as Kim moved up a weight class for the Greco-Roman style to 75 kilograms.
“It feels like walking on a cloud,” Kim said after being selected for Team Korea at the Rio Games. “In my dream, I got a gold in the Olympics final despite my injury, wearing tape on my arm,” he told reporters at the Taenung Training Center in Seoul, 70 days before the Games.
Unlike his dream, he failed to advance to the semifinals, losing to Migran Arutyunyan of Armenia. In the bronze medal match, Tuesday at Carioca Arena 2, he was defeated by Rasul Chunayev of Azerbaijan 8-0.
Ryu was one of strongest medal hopefuls as the world ranking No.3 with wins in the 2013 World Championship, 2014 Incheon Asian Games and the 2015 Asian Championship.
“I should have freed my arm, but couldn’t because it was squeezed by my opponent’s legs,” Kim told reporters after losing in the bronze medal match. “I apologize to my parents and Korean fans.”