Fencers add bronze in women’s team foil
South Korea’s Ki Bo-bae won gold in the women’s individual archery Thursday through a dramatic sudden-death shoot-off for the Olympic title.
Ki became the first South Korean to wear a double crown in the London 2012 Olympics, one from the individual and the other from the team event.
It is through her gold medals which South Korea can resume its quest for a successive golden performance in the event. The country failed to defend its women’s individual archery title only once so far ― in Beijing four years ago ― after hauling six straight gold medals since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
The top-seeded Ki edged Mexican Aida Roman in a shoot-off after locking the scores at 5-5 in sets. The Korean ace archer came close to the Olympic title with the last fifth set remaining with a l5-3 lead. A tie in the fifth set would have made her a victor, but her last arrow landed on the 8-point area, returning the score to a 5-5 draw and forcing a sudden-death shoot-off.
South Korea’s Ki Bo-bae shoots during the individual archery competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics on Thursday.
Ki shot first, with her arrow landing on the 8-point circle again and her golden dream looking more distant. Then Roman took her turn, shooting the same 8 point, but her arrow was stuck a little farther away from the bull’s eye than Ki’s. It was the moment of golden fate turning in Ki’s favor.
The Korean delegation also bagged a medal for its team of women fencers.
South Korea defeated France 45-32 in the bronze medal match of the women’s foil team fencing, and stepped onto the podium for the first time ever in the event.
Hyundai Motor Group vice chairman Chung Eui-sun, who serves as head of the Korea Archery Association, congratulates Ki. (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)
Teammate Nam Hyun-hee, a silver medalist in Beijing four years ago, became the first Korean fencer to win two medals in as many Olympics.
As of the sixth day of competition Thursday, South Korea has clinched seven gold, two silver and five bronze medals to hold on to third in the medal standings.
Two other female fencers who struck team gold together with Ki failed to survive on the way to the final. Lee Sung-jin and Choi Hyeon-ju were eliminated in the quarterfinal and the round of 16, respectively.
Members of the South Korean foil team celebrate after defeating France during a bronze medal match at women’s team foil fencing at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday. (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)
In judo, Hwang Hee-tae failed in his first Olympic medal quest in eight years.
The world No. 8 judoka lost a 100 kg-class semifinal to Beijing Olympic gold medalist and world No. 7 Tuvshinbayar Naidan of Mongolia, and then kneeled to world No. 2 Henk Grol of the Netherlands in the bronze medal match.
Meanwhile, Lee Yong-dae and Chung Jae-sung, a Korean pair ranked first in the world, breezed into the semifinal round of the men’s badminton doubles. They crushed the Indonesian team of Mohammad Ahsan and Bona Septano 2-0 (21-12, 21-16) in their quarters.
The women’s hockey team seeking its first Olympic medal in 16 years beat Japan 1-0 in its third match of the Group A preliminary, and escaped from the bottom of the group rankings with one win and two losses. It is to take on the world No. 1 Dutch side in its fourth game of the group stage.
The men’s handball team extended its losing streak to three matches by losing its third game of Group B to Spain 29-33. It has to defeat both Serbia and Denmark to advance to the quarterfinal.
By Chun Sung-woo (swchun@heraldm.com)
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
