The final arrow that clinched South Korea’s first gold medal in 13 years was actually a misfire, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Lee Woo-seok (Kolon), Oh Jin-hyuk (Hyundai Steel) and Kim Jeduk (Yecheon County Office) of the South Korean men’s archery team defeated India 5-1 in the men’s team archery final of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games at the Fuyang Throat Sports Center Archery Range in Hangzhou, China, on Saturday.
The match came down to the third set, which South Korea won with a 3-1 set score, when Oh Jin-hyuk fired his last shot at 10 points.
If he had shot 9, the match would have gone to a fourth set.
India has been strong in archery at this tournament. It was unclear how the momentum would change if the match was not decided in the third set, but the ‘veteran’ Oh sealed the victory.
However, he confessed that it was a ‘mistake’.
“When you use a technique, you have to shoot with a feeling like a rubber band that pops when you cut it, but at that time, it felt like a ‘dull thud,'” he told reporters in the joint press area (Mix Zone) after the awards ceremony.
“I think it could have been a 10, but luckily it was a 10,” he laughed.
In the end, the gold medal went to South Korea. It was the first men’s team medal in 13 years since Guangzhou 2010.
Oh Jin-hyuk was a member of the gold medal team 13 years ago.
After winning gold in the same event at the age of 40, Oh said, “I just love every competition. “It doesn’t matter if I won another medal when I was older or when I was younger, the process was just as hard and just as important,” he said. “The mindset was the same then and it’s the same now.
“I was desperate (after not winning a team gold medal in 13 years), so I prepared well. My brothers did a great job. I think I was just a support,” he said, looking up to his juniors.
Lee Woo-seok, who won the gold medal in the mixed team event earlier in the day, won a double medal with the win.
It was a welcome respite from the disappointment of winning only two silver medals at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
“I don’t know what to say, I’m so happy that I feel like I’m going to fly,” said Lee, adding, “I still have the third place individual match tomorrow. I will not stop and will do my best until the end to add another bronze medal to my collection.” 스포츠토토