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Lee Won-hee

b. 1981

South Korean judoka

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About Lee Won-hee

Born 1981. Lee Won-hee is a South Korean judoka.

Lee Won-hee (; born 19 July 1981) is a South Korean quadruple judo champion. Lee won the gold medal in the men's lightweight division at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. He was the world champion in 2003. He also won the gold medal in 2006 Asian Games and 2003 Asian Judo Championships.

He won his Olympic gold medal by way of Ippon against Vitaly Makarov of Russia with 9 seconds left. He was leading in the bout anyway, but had secured the win when he went in for Drop Seoi Nage and combined it with Kouchi gari to deliver Makarov onto his back with force. He was voted top judoka in the 2004 Olympics. Lee was renowned for his favourite technique Tai Otoshi.

Lee is arguably one of the best South Korean judokas ever to live. During his active career, he was nicknamed "Mr. Ippon" and "Grand Slammer" for his 48-game winning streak, of which, 43 were won by ippon. He lost to Wang Ki-chun in the qualifications for the 2007 World Championships in Rio de Janeiro and 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Lee taught judo at his alma mater Yong In University. In 2015, he was promoted to head coach of the South Korean Women's Judo National Team.

Personal life Lee attended Boseong Middle School.

In 2008, Lee married golfer Kim Mi-hyun, and they have a son, Yeseong. The couple divorced in 2012.

In 2018, Lee married South Korean table tennis player Yun Ji-Hye and have a daughter together.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2024 Physical: 100 Contestant Season 2 2022Gukttaeneun Gukttaeda

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Yong In University, Posung Middle School, Posung High School, Seoul Hongneung Elementary School

People in Lee Won-hee's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Lee Won-hee's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Lee Won-hee?

South Korean judoka

When was Lee Won-hee born?

Lee Won-hee was born on 19 July 1981 in Seoul.

What is Lee Won-hee's occupation?

Lee Won-hee is a judoka.

What nationality is Lee Won-hee?

Lee Won-hee is South Korean.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Lee Won-hee

· Wikidata: Q497310

· DBpedia: Lee Won-hee

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Lee Won-hee. https://biography.guide/lee-won-hee/

MLA: "Lee Won-hee." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/lee-won-hee/.

Chicago: "Lee Won-hee." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/lee-won-hee/.

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