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Boxer Im Ae-ji becomes first Korean woman to medal at Olympics and World Championships

Published: 11 Sep. 2025, 17:12 Updated: 11 Sep. 2025, 18:19

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

Lim Ae-ji celebrates after defeating Colombia’s Yeni Arias in the women’s 54-kilogram quarterfinal at the 2024 Paris Olympics at North Paris Arena in France, on Aug. 1, 2024. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Boxer Im Ae-ji made history on Wednesday, becoming the first Korean woman to medal at both the Olympics and the World Championships.

The 26-year-old defeated Brazil’s Tatiana Regina de Jesus Chagas by unanimous decision, 5-0, in the women’s 54-kilogram quarterfinal at the inaugural World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England.

Im had already captured a bronze medal at last year’s Paris Olympics in the same weight class. She was the first Korean female boxer to win a medal in the Olympics, falling just short of the gold-medal bout after losing to Turkey’s Hatice Akbas.

Boxing does not hold separate bronze medal bouts, meaning both semifinal losers take home bronze.

She is now the first Korean boxer since Jo Seok-hwan — who won bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and at the 2003 World Championships — to medal at both events.

Lim Ae-ji competes against Turkey's Hatice Akbas in the women’s 54-kilogram semifinal bout at the 2024 Paris Olympics at North Paris Arena in France, on Aug. 4, 2024. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Chagas was a familiar opponent. Im beat her 4-1 in the round of 16 in Paris and once again overpowered her one year later to guarantee another podium finish.

Im beat Britain's Lauren Mackie 3-2 in the round of 16 at the World Championships.

Im will face Huang Hsiao-wen of Taiwan in the semifinal at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday for a chance to advance to the final.

The World Boxing Championships takes place from Sept. 4 to 14. More than 500 boxers from over 60 countries are expected to participate for the men's and women's games. Five women and seven men compete for Korea this year.

In the women’s 60-kilogram division, Oh Yeon-ji narrowly missed the semifinals after losing to China’s Yang Chengyu, cutting short her pursuit of a third career world championship medal.

BY PIH JU-YOUNG, KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]