Korean Judoka Retires, Looks Forward to 'New Start' as Coach

Olympic judo champion, Kim Jae-bum, announced on Wednesday that he will retire from competing and begin a new career as a coach. 

"I have been working hard to become a top judoka, but I'm not going to compete anymore," he said exclusively to Yonhap News Agency. "Now, I want to study judo and transform myself into a coach."

According to Yonhap, Kim will coach young people interested in judo at the Let's Run Park judo club. He wishes to make judo "fun" for its participants. 

"When I look back on my 25 years of judo experience, I just worked hard," he said. "It's a pity that I didn't know how to enjoy the sport."

Kim also has great aspirations in his future coaching career to train athletes into Olympians. 

"I want to train a future Olympic gold medalist," he said. "I want to push myself for a new start."

Kim won the men's 81kg at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Due to injuries, the judoka was not able to qualify for the national team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero.