Police requests arrest warrant for ex-Olympic weightlifting champion

Police requests arrest warrant for ex-Olympic weightlifting champion. January. 21, 2016 07:53. by 춘천=이인모기자 imlee@donga.com.

Chuncheon Police in Gangwon Province said Wednesday it requested an arrest warrant for former Olympic weightlifting champion Sa Jae-hyeok over assault charges.

According to police, Sa was having a drink with fellow weightlifters at a Chuncheon bar around 11 p.m. on December 31, and allegedly punched his fellow Hwang Woo-man in the face and body a number of times that required up to six weeks to heal.

"We requested for an arrest warrant to eradicate chronic violence cases in the sports circle and send alarm messages to the society," the police said. "Sa assaulted the victim by abusing his position as senior, while the promising weightlifter was badly damaged to such an extent that he may have to give up joining the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and also his life as an athlete."

Sa will lose qualification to receive sports pension if he is sentenced to confinement or heavier punishment. He is already ruled out of the competition in the 2016 Olympic Games as the Korea Weightlifting Federation issued him suspension of qualification for 10 years on January 4.