Korean boxer Oh Yeon-ji loses to Chinese Taipei's Wu Shih Yi

Korean boxer Oh Yeon-ji’s Olympics ended early Saturday as she lost her first bout in the women’s 60-kilogram round of 32 to Wu Shih Yi of Chinese Taipei.

Chinese Taipei's Wu Shih Yi, left, hits Korea's Oh Yeon-ji in their women's 60-kilogram boxing match at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday in Paris, France. [AP/YONHAP]

Korean boxer Oh Yeon-ji’s Olympics ended early Saturday as she lost her first bout in the women’s 60-kilogram round of 32 to Wu Shih Yi of Chinese Taipei.

It was a close-fought fight at North Paris Arena in Paris, with Wu leading the judges scores indicating only a marginal lead for Wu over the first two rounds. Wu went on to win on points, ending Oh’s second Olympics in a single match.

Oh is one of two Korean boxers competing in Paris, alongside Im Ae-ji in the women’s 54-kilogram division beginning on July 30.

Im and Oh made history in Tokyo as the first-ever Korean women to have qualified for boxing at the Games, but neither advanced past the round of 16.

Oh was an Asian Games gold medalist in 2018 and a two-time Asian amateur boxing champion before earning her first Olympic berth in Tokyo. She’s since earned a third Asian boxing championship gold medal in 2022 and a bronze medal at the 2023 women’s world championships in New Delhi.

Korea has qualified athletes in boxing in every Olympics since 1984, but no men qualified for the Tokyo Olympics nor the Paris Games. Korea has 20 medals in Olympic boxing, including three gold.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]