Lee Joon-hwan won a bronze medal in men's judo at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

Lee, ranked third in the world, defeated the top-ranked Matthias Casse of Belgium in the men’s 81-kilogram event at Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris.

Lee scored a decisive waza-ari, or half point, 48 seconds into the sudden-death extra period to capture a medal in his first Olympic Games. 

Lee’s bronze is the second medal for South Korea in judo in Paris after Huh Mimi won a silver in the women’s 57-kilogram event on Monday. 

Lee emerged as a strong player by winning the men's 81-kilogram class at the International Judo Federation Grand Slam in 2022 and the silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.