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South Korean "Dream" archers display super power at Doha Asiad
14/12/2006 10:30

The South Korean archery "Dream" teams displayed their prowess by making a clean sweep of all four gold medals at stake as the archery tournament concluded here at the 15th Asian Games yesterday.

After a blow in the Busan Asian Games where they lost both the men's and women's individual titles as the hosts, the South Koreans fought back bravely in Doha four years later.

Park Sung Hyun, the double-winner of the Athens Olympics, claimed her first Asiad individual title against stiff and shifting winds on Monday.

The 23-year-old Park and her compatriot Yun Ok Hee set up an all-Korean final which produced the first gold here at the Lusail Shooting Complex.

"We had known about the wind so we had trained and prepared for such a condition in advance," said Park, the only South Korean archer who has won all major international individual titles. "I am really happy that two Koreans were in the final."

Im Dong Hyun then added the second gold to the super South Korean team by winning the men's individual title, a treasured revenge of the South Koreans.

Im, the 20-year-old, outshot Japan's dark horse Tomokazu Wakinoin the final 108-101, boosting himself from a bronze medalist in the Busan Asiad to the winner in Doha.

The South Korean show went on as Park and Im respectively led the women's and men's teams to repeat their feats in the Athens Olympics.

The biggest challenge for the women's trio came until the final when they set up another crash with the Chinese team after winning in the Athens Olympics by one point.

Park, Yun Mi Jin and Yun Ok Hee outshot China again by 215-209 from 24 arrows, setting an Asian record.

The men archers then followed suit as they won in another replay of the 2004 Olympics and claimed the Asiad team title for the seventh straight time.

The team, composed of Im, veteran Park Kyung Mo and Jang Yong Ho, beat Chinese Taipei in the final by 216-211.

"The South Korean archers are really the best," said Tian Yuling, coach of the Chinese women team. "We are still on the way to catch up with them. Our archers have good techniques, but they still have weaknesses in handling the wind and showing their best in the key points."



Xinhua News