Love prompts judoka to scrap retirement plan, seek gold at London Games

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- Love has shed new light on his passion for judo and
prompted him to scrap his plan to retire and instead seek a ticket to the 2012
London Olympics, Athens gold medalist Lee Won-hee said Wednesday.
Speaking at a joint press conference where he announced his plan to marry LPGA
star Kim Mi-hyun in December, Lee, 27, said he had considered retiring after he
failed to qualify for the Beijing Games but his fiance has turned him around.
"After meeting her, I started having second thoughts," said Lee, who captured the
gold in the 73-kilogram event at the 2004 Athens Games. "Now I have made up my
mind to strive to compete in the London Olympics."
Lee and Kim are one of the most widely publicized athlete couples in South Korea.
The two met while shooting a television show last year and have been openly
dating and supporting each other at sporting events since.
"Meeting him has helped renew my interest and confidence in the game of golf," Kim
told reporters.
Kim, 31, belongs to the first generation of South Korea's most successful
golfers, along with Pak Se-ri, who have competed in the LPGA Tour. Kim has won
eight LPGA events since she joined the tour in 1999 and became Rookie of the
Year.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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