Koreans extend archery reign

By Zhao Rui (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-11 12:56

Archer Park Sung-hyun of South Korea shoots an arrow during the women's team competition of the Beijing Olympic Games yesterday. South Korea won the gold medal. AFP

South Korea beat China to win gold in the women's archery team event at the Olympic Green yesterday, earning its sixth consecutive Olympic title.

Athens gold medalist Park Sung-hyun, world No 1 Yun Ok-hee and Joo Hyun-jung, beat the Chinese trio 224-215 to confirm their status as the sport's superpower.

South Korean archers have now won a total of 15 gold medals at the Olympics.

The women, who set a world record against Italy in the quarterfinals and hammered France in the semis, have won every Olympic archery gold medal since 1984.

Park, Yun and Joo are also the top three seeds in the individual tournament, which begins tomorrow.

France beat Britain by a point to win the bronze medal after driving rain and thunder forced a 15-minute postponement.

Park, who ripped gold from China's grasp with her very last arrow four years ago, was in imperious form, shrugging off miserable conditions and a crowd fiercely loyal to the home team to lead her team to victory.

China's Chen Ling, Guo Dan and Zhang Juanjuan were never able to get back on level terms after falling behind with their first three arrows.

"I have to say I am very disappointed about this - losing to them once again," said China's team manager Meng Fanai. "We worked really really hard over the past four years, trying to make a breakthrough here in Beijing, and we finally failed.

"But there is nothing to feel sorry about. All of my girls did their best, we have to admit we are not the best in the world. The Koreans are way too strong for us."

China beat Germany and Great Britain yesterday en route to the final. And the loss on home soil will force China to rethink its approach before the London Olympics in a bid to stop playing second fiddle to the sport's superpower.

"We won't give up challenging them," Zhang said. "Obviously we will be having more clashes in the next World Championships and even the next Olympics in London in four years."

World record

South Korea set a 24-arrow world record as the team combined for a score of 231 out of a possible 240 points.

This also marked an Olympic record as the 24-arrow format debuted on sport's biggest stage.

"We shot the same as we did in the final of the World Cup fourth leg," Pia Carmen Lionetti from Italy said after her team's quarterfinal loss. "But the South Koreans have improved their results so much - I think they come from another planet.

"We were unlucky. I felt so much pressure during the ranking round."

Teammate Natalia Valeeva said: "They have three great archers. I'm happy for them for the world record, but I'm not happy that it wasn't enough for us."

"We should have shot better yesterday so we could shoot with the Koreans in the semifinals. We needed to be in the finals. We should have been more ready," she added.

Agencies contributed to the story

(China Daily 08/11/2008 page13)