As expected, 'Ace' was different. Im Si-hyun (21, Korea National Sports University) passed the archery ranking round with a total of 694 points and No. 1 overall. Following the individual and women's team events, he even won the mixed team event. Following last year's Hangzhou Asian Games, Shim will try to win 'triple crown' at the Paris Olympics.
The South Korean women's archery team, consisting of Lim Si-hyun, Jeon Hoon-young (30, Incheon City Hall) and Nam Soo-hyun (19, Suncheon City Hall), played the 2024 Paris Olympics archery ranking round at Anvalid in Paris, France, on the afternoon of the 25th (Korea time). Ranking round is a match that determines the individual and team matches. In the men's and women's team events, the team will meet the strong team later only when the ranking round is good. In addition, the top men's and women's teams in South Korea will also qualify for the mixed team event.
As a result, Lim Si-hyun passed the ranking round as No. 1 overall. Not once was the No. 1 spot taken away. Above all, Shim had the honor of setting a new record in her first appearance at the Olympics. He achieved both the world record and the Olympic record at the same time. The previous world record was 692 points shot by Kang Chae-young in 2019, and the Olympic record was 680 points by Ansan at the previous Tokyo Games.
Korea's power was strong. Shim Ji-hyun, Jeon Hoon-young, Nam Soo-hyun relaxed his shoulders by aiming side by side 'X's' from the first foot.
The lead was by far 'Ace'Chi Si-hyun. He showed perfect performance in the first end of the first half, shooting a total of 59 points, including four exens, one 10 points, and one 9 points. The pace didn't break. In the last end of the first half, Lim Si-hyun shot 60 points 'full score'. He ranked first with 353 points in the first half. In the first half alone, he was in his best condition, recording 13th inning of Extens.
Lim Si-hyun continued his concentration in the second half of the game after the break. He shot 56-56-58-56-56-59 to keep his No. 1 spot. With a total of 694 points, he set new world records and Olympic records. On the same day, Shim Ji-hyun hit the ball 21 times in Xsten, 10 points and 48 times.
사진=Yonhap News
Nam Soo-hyun also showed sharp power. In the first round, he shot a total of 57 points and settled in third place. After that, he briefly fell to fifth place, but soon jumped to second place and competed with Lim Si-hyun for the lead. Nam Soo-hyun was ranked third with 341 points in the first half. The second half was even fiercer. Nam Soo-hyun hit 60 points in the third end. Nam Soo-hyun, who showed strong power in the second half, scored the final 688 points. Finished the ranking round in second place.
사진=Yonhap News
'The oldest sister' Jeon Hoon-young showed a fierce background. He scored a total of 52 points in the first end. It was ranked 42nd out of 62 overall. However, he elevated his ranking with stable performance. He was ranked 21st with 330 first-half points. Jeon Hoon-young also showed off a sharper bow tip in the second half. He finished 13th with a final 664 points.
사진=Yonhap News
사진=Yonhap News
It is true that expectations and concerns coexist in this national team. Archery is Korea's representative 'Hyoja event'. South Korea's archery team won 27 gold medals in the Olympics alone. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he won all the gold medals in 'all the way through'all the way through'all the way through'. She also won four gold medals at the previous Tokyo Games.
Moreover, in Tokyo, he was the first champion of the mixed team event.
South Korea is doing everything in its power to keep its place at the top. It is different from the national team selection match. The Korea Archery Association selected 20 men's and women's players through the first and second rounds of selection. In the third round of selection, four men and women who served as national team members of the previous year were added to compete for their skills. Eight men and women, each of whom passed the national team selection round, earned tickets to the Paris Olympics through two final warm-up matches.
The players, who had a hard time getting tickets to Paris, also had different training sessions. In Jincheon National Training Center, the same set as the Olympic Archery Stadium to be installed in Anvalid Square was built. For practical environmental adaptation training, I tried to familiarize myself with the body and mind as much as possible by training at the simulated Olympic Stadium. In addition, a training site was secured along the Namhan River to conduct a special training session for Taegeuk palaces. This is because the grass park north of Angvalid Square is adjacent to the Seine River, which runs through Paris. It was calculated that if you practice shooting your bow in the midst of the strong wind, you will not be embarrassed by the strong wind along the Seine River. In addition, the preparation was completed through special matches.
In Paris, apart from the athletes' village, a lodge with the nature of 'rest room' was arranged 200 meters away from Anvalid. The players were kept in optimal physical condition and high concentration. In addition, the entire stadium of a sports club outside Paris, a 35-minute drive from Anvalid, was rented. It created an environment where players could train regardless of time.
There are concerns. Korean archery has traditionally been somewhat sluggish in international competitions held in Europe. Irregular wind and frequent rain acted as variables. The strength of Asian countries such as China, Taiwan, and India is also noticeable. However, the biggest concern was the lack of experience in the team. Jeon Hoon-young and Nam Soo-hyun were evaluated as lacking experience in international competitions. In fact, South Korea was caught up by China in the first and second team events of the World Cup, raising concerns. In the third World Cup tournament held in Antalya, Turkiye last month, not a single individual player made it to the semifinals. However, in the team event, he caught France and won the championship and breathed a sigh of relief.
