An Ba-ul, Olympic silver medallist in the men's -66 kg at Rio 2016 and bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020, has announced that he will conclude his competitive career at the end of 2026 and move into coaching.
Writing on social media on 10 September, the judoka who competes for Namyangju City Hall said: "I plan to conclude this journey at the end of this year and begin a new challenge as a coach. I will continue to grow by sharing my experiences moving forward."
He added: "It has been an honour and I am grateful to have represented South Korea on major stages such as the Olympics. Thank you to everyone who has supported me until now."
Olympic record
An won silver in the men's -66 kg at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and bronze in the same category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He also contributed to South Korea's bronze medal in the mixed team event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he beat an opponent from a heavier weight class in the bronze-medal match against Germany — a contest that drew wide attention in Korea.
Staying close to the team
On 9 September, a day before announcing his retirement, An visited the Jincheon National Training Center in Chungcheongbuk-do to encourage the younger members of the national squad preparing for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Korea's judo team is targeting multiple gold medals at the Games, which run from 30 September to 3 October.
The move into coaching keeps An inside a Korean judo structure he has been part of for more than a decade, at a time when the country's men's lightweight categories are being rebuilt around a younger group.