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."