Obituary

Lee Kun-hee, Former Chairman of Samsung and Friend of Wrestling, Dies at 78

Tuesday, October 27, 2020 - 14:39 By

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A file photo of chairman of Samsung Electronics Lee Kun Hee seen with his wife Ra-Hee Hong during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Kun Hee died Sunday at the age of 78.

SEOUL (October 27) -- Lee Kun-hee, who build Samsung into a global powerhouse in the 1980's and 1990's has died at his home in Seoul. An honorary member of the IOC and UWW, Mr. Lee had a longstanding commitment to international sport.

According to the IOC, Mr. Lee's sport of preference was wrestling and was President (and later Honorary President) of the Korean Amateur Wrestling Federation from 1982 to 1997. He was also a member of the Korean Olympic Committee and later became Vice-President (1993-1996) then Honorary President.

United World Wrestling and the global wrestling family send their thoughts to the family, friends, and colleagues of Mr. Lee.

Obituary

Japanese legend and Olympic champ Obara passes away aged 44

Saturday, July 19, 2025 - 11:00 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (July 19) — Former Japanese great Hitomi OBARA, a 2012 London Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world champion, died on Friday, Japanese media reported on Saturday. She was 44.

Obara won six world titles at women's 51kg between 2000 and 2008 under her maiden name of SAKAMOTO, but lost out to Saori YOSHIDA in an attempt to make Japan's team at 55kg to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

She retired after that disappointment, but returned to mat and cut down to 48kg in a bid for the London Olympics. She won world titles at 48kg in 2010 and 2011, then defeated Mariya STADNIK (AZE) in the London final for the Olympic gold. 

Born in the powerful wrestling city of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, in northern Japan, Obara had been appointed as coach of the national women's team in January along with fellow Hachinohe native and Olympic champion Kaori ICHO.