[Asian Games] Korea's Gold Medal Streak Halted... Handball and Archery Win Silver Medals

Gap Widens with 2nd Place Japan in Overall Rankings
Continued Poor Performance in Ball Sports... Baseball Saves Face

The gold medal streak of the South Korean delegation, which continued day after day since the opening of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, came to a halt. Silver medals were won in the highly anticipated women's handball and men's compound archery events.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The women's handball team failed to secure their third consecutive championship. In the final held on the 5th at the Zhejiang Gongshang University Gymnasium in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, they were decisively defeated by Japan 19-29. They trailed by six goals in the first half and failed to create any significant turning points in the second half. This marks the first time in 13 years since the 2010 Guangzhou Games that Japan has stopped South Korea in the Asian Games.

The men's compound archery team also won a silver medal in the team event. Joo Jae-hoon (Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power), Yang Jae-won (Sangmu), and Kim Jong-ho (Hyundai Steel) competed in the final but lost to India 230-235. Joo Jae-hoon, who has gained attention as a former amateur archer, earned his second silver medal following the mixed team event the previous day.

Earlier, the women's compound archery team added a bronze medal in the team event. So Chae-won (Hyundai Mobis), Oh Yoo-hyun (Jeonbuk Provincial Office), and Jo Su-ah (Hyundai Mobis) edged out Indonesia 232-229. The women's basketball team also secured a bronze medal. In the second North-South showdown held in this tournament, they achieved a decisive victory with a score of 93-63. With this, the women's basketball team has medaled in four consecutive Asian Games, including the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games where they competed as a unified team with North Korea (silver medal).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The women's volleyball team, which failed to advance to the semifinals, achieved a 3-1 comeback victory against North Korea in the quarterfinal round. Amid the consecutive disappointments in ball sports, the men's baseball team saved face by defeating Japan 2-0 in the first game of the super round. Starting pitcher Park Se-woong (Lotte) pitched six scoreless innings, and relief pitcher Park Young-hyun (kt) closed out two scoreless innings. On offense, Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha) contributed two RBIs with a sacrifice fly and a single to left field.

In men's wrestling heavyweight category, Kim Min-seok (Suwon City Hall) defeated India's Navin 5-1 in the Greco-Roman 130kg bronze medal match, earning his second consecutive bronze medal at the Games. In men's jiu-jitsu 69kg category, Joo Sung-hyun (Korea Jiu-Jitsu Association) also stood on the podium after defeating Mongolia's Tuvdentarva Choijamts in the bronze medal match.

As of 9:30 PM that day, South Korea maintained 3rd place in the overall rankings with 33 gold medals, 47 silver medals, and 76 bronze medals. The gap widened further with Japan, which had won 44 gold medals (52 silver, 60 bronze).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.