Youngest Archers Kim Je-deok and An San Win South Korea's First Gold (Summary)

First Olympic Appearance's First Archery Mixed Team Gold Medalist
Kim Je-deok Aims for Triple Crown with Bold Play and Stable Posture
An San Breaks 25-Year-Old Olympic Record in Ranking Round

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The youngest members of the national archery team won the first gold medal for the South Korean delegation at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They are Kim Je-deok (Gyeongbuk Ilgo) and An San (Gwangju Women’s University). On the 24th, at the archery mixed team final held at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo, Japan, they made a comeback victory against the Netherlands’ Steve Wijler-Gabriella Sluzser duo with a score of 5-3 (35-38 37-36 36-33 39-39). They won the gold medal in their first Olympic appearance. They also earned the honor of being the first Olympic mixed team archery gold medalists. The mixed team event was introduced for the first time in this tournament.

The start was somewhat shaky. In the first set, An San scored 8 points, totaling 35 points. The Netherlands scored 38 points, including two 10s, and took the set. The momentum reversed in the second set. Kim Je-deok and An San, tied at 18-18, showed remarkable concentration and added 19 points. The Netherlands faltered as Sluzser scored 8 points, allowing the set score to be tied at 2-2.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Je-deok and An San maintained a stable posture and continued their momentum. Especially, Kim Je-deok shouted “Korea Fighting!” and then shot a 10 on his first arrow, easing An San’s burden. The Netherlands’ Wijler failed to catch up by scoring 6 points on his second arrow. The fourth set was closely contested. The Netherlands combined for 19 points on their first arrows. Kim Je-deok and An San consecutively shot 10s to take a slight lead. The Netherlands responded by scoring consecutive 10s on their second arrows. However, Kim Je-deok scored a 10 and An San added 9 points, failing to overcome the Korean wall.

This tournament is Kim Je-deok’s first senior international competition. Previously, he only participated in youth international tournaments. He withdrew midway through the 2019 Tokyo Olympic trials due to a shoulder injury. He did not miss the opportunity that came with the Olympics being postponed by a year. He placed third in the national team final evaluation in April. Last month, he caused a sensation by winning both individual and team events at the Gwangju Asia Cup. Bold game management and stable posture have led to predictions that he could become the first Olympic archery triple crown winner.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

An San is a promising athlete who has been evaluated as having the strongest mental strength on the national team. She first gained international attention at the Berlin World Cup in July 2019, winning two titles in individual and mixed events. After adding an Olympic gold medal, she broke a 25-year-old Olympic record during the ranking round held the day before, which also served as the mixed team selection. She scored a total of 680 points, surpassing Lisa Herasymenko (Ukraine), who set 673 points at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

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