Karn falls short of Paralympic podium

Despite his best effort, Fergus native Justin Karn fell short of his quest for gold on Aug. 30, losing in the quarter final of the Paralympic judo competition.

The visually impaired athlete, who was born with a condition that makes it difficult to perceive depth, was ranked 12th in the world heading into in the 60-kilogram division.

He won his first match 2-0 over Juan Castellanos of Colombia, but lost his second 1-0 to Takaaki Hirai of Japan.

Karn then lost to Korea’s Min-Jae Lee in the quarter final, ending his 2012 tournament.

Ramin Ibrahimov of Azerbaijan eventually went on to win the gold medal.

Karn was raised in Fergus and now resides in Kitchener, where he is a member of the Asahi Judo Club.

Comments