Sa Jae-hyouk, the South Korean weightlifter who injured his arm in his title defense at the London Olympics, will rejoin the national team following a successful surgery, officials said Thursday.
The Korea Weightlifting Federation said Sa underwent a successful operation to repair his injured right arm, and that the 27-year-old lifter "is eager to redeem himself at an international event."
"We will monitor the progress of his rehabilitation and determine when he should rejoin the national team training," an official with the federation said. "We will provide all the help he needs in his recovery."
Sa won the gold medal in the men's under-77-kilogram class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But in London earlier this month, he dislocated his right elbow while attempting to lift 162 kg in his second snatch try. Officials said Sa went under the knife in Seoul and is recuperating at a hospital in Wonju, Gangwon Province, east of Seoul.
The gruesome injury appeared to be career-threatening at the time, but further tests determined that Sa could recover and resume his career.
Sa has dealt with major injuries throughout his career. He had operations on his right knee in 2011, left shoulder in 2003 and right wrist in 2005, but recovered from them all to capture the Olympic gold in 2008.
Sa had another shoulder surgery in 2010 but came back to win the bronze medal at the 2011 World Weightlifting Championships.
After the Olympics, the next major international competition is the 2013 World Weightlifting Championships in Warsaw, Poland. (Yonhap)