1. Early life and athletic background
Hwang Eun-ju was born in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do, South Korea. In her early years, she initially engaged in Judo. She later transitioned from Judo to competitive wrestling, where she specialized in freestyle wrestling.
2. Career
2.1. Major competitions and medal achievements
In September 2014, Hwang Eun-ju participated in the 2014 Asian Games held in Incheon, South Korea. She earned one of the bronze medals in the women's freestyle 75-kg event.
In 2019, she secured another bronze medal in the women's 76-kg event at the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships which took place in Xi'an, China.
2.2. World Championships and Olympic qualification campaigns
In 2015, Hwang Eun-ju competed in the women's freestyle 75-kg event at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships held in Las Vegas, United States. The following year, she aimed to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by competing at both the first World Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament and the second World Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament. However, in both competitions, she was eliminated in her first match.
She also competed in the women's freestyle 76-kg event at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. In this tournament, she was eliminated in her opening match by Sabira Aliyeva of Azerbaijan.
In 2024, Hwang Eun-ju once again sought to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. She participated in the 2024 Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, but did not secure an Olympic spot. She also competed at the 2024 World Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament held in Istanbul, Turkey, where she was eliminated in her first match and consequently did not qualify for the Olympics.
3. Achievements
| Year | Tournament | Location | Result | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Asian Games | Incheon, South Korea | 3rd | Freestyle 75-kg |
| 2019 | Asian Championships | Xi'an, China | 3rd | Freestyle 76-kg |