How Korean Archery Excelled in Tokyo and Maintained Its Success [Paris Olympics]

Mixed Team Achieves 3 Consecutive Wins... Women Reach 10 Consecutive Wins
Korea Archery Association's Detailed Support Enhances Performance
Hyundai Motor Group Sponsors for 40 Years Since 1985
Transferred 레쟁발리드 Intact to Jincheon Training Center

Korean archery achieved a historic feat by winning the Olympic team event for both men and women for the third consecutive time. The men's team, composed of Kim Woo-jin (Cheongju City Hall), Kim Je-deok (Yecheon County Office), and Lee Woo-seok (Kolon), defeated France 5-1 (57-57 59-58 59-56) in the men's team final held on the 30th (Korean time) at Les Invalides in Paris during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Having won this event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and the 2021 Tokyo Games, Korean men's archery secured its third consecutive Olympic gold in this category.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The day before, the women's team, consisting of Im Si-hyun (Korea National Sport University), Jeon Hun-young (Incheon City Hall), and Nam Soo-hyun (Suncheon City Hall), extended their winning streak in the team event?which has been held since the 1988 Seoul Olympics?to 10 consecutive victories. With the men's team also reaching the top on this day, Korean archery once again demonstrated its status as the world's strongest force.

Behind this monumental achievement was the meticulous support from the Korea Archery Association. The team roster was finalized in April. From May, the athletes began intensive training at the Jincheon National Training Center. Each maintained excellent condition, aiming precisely at the golden target. This was thanks to the Korea Archery Association’s detailed preparation of the training environment since last year. They thoroughly researched the competition schedule, venue, and timing well in advance and devoted all efforts to tailored support.

The most carefully managed aspect was the competition schedule. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the mixed team, women's team, and men's team events were held on three consecutive days immediately following the ranking round. For this event, after the ranking round, the women's team event was held three days later on the 28th, with the men's team event taking place the following day.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In archery, the ranking round determines the matchups. Once opponents are confirmed, athletes naturally experience increased tension. The Korea Archery Association anticipated that how the athletes spent the two rest days after the ranking round would significantly affect their performance. Therefore, they rented an exclusive training facility where the athletes could comfortably assess their skills, separate from Les Invalides. This was Stade Fran?ais, a comprehensive sports club with a 140-year tradition located in ?le-de-France. As a members-only club inaccessible to the general public, it was deemed ideal for enhancing the athletes' concentration. To ensure sufficient rest during the competition, a lounge area was also arranged at a hotel just two minutes from Les Invalides. Six rooms and a second-floor lounge were exclusively reserved for the national team.

This generous rental was made possible by sponsorship from Hyundai Motor Group, the association’s main sponsor. The company has fully supported Korean archery for 40 years since 1985. This time as well, Hyundai Motor Group closely coordinated support plans with the Korea Archery Association and assisted the athletes’ local adaptation. Chairman Chung Eui-sun even accompanied the presidential delegation on a visit to France last year, taking time to inspect athlete support facilities and ensure there were no issues with the logistics.

The attention to detail extended beyond Paris. Hyundai Motor Group set up a training environment at the Jincheon National Training Center that replicated Les Invalides. They recreated structures such as signboards and electronic scoreboards, reflecting the event’s symbolic colors within the training venue. The flow from the entrance to the shooting line and interview area was also duplicated exactly. When training began, announcements, crowd cheers, and noise were played in French and English to simulate the actual competition atmosphere.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Thanks to this, the athletes were able to conduct practice matches and enhance their “Paris adaptation.” Hong Seung-jin, the head coach of the national team, said, “Because the athletes experienced the actual venue in advance, they improved their adaptability to the environment and reduced psychological pressure.”

Hyundai Motor Group also significantly contributed to improving the athletes’ performance. They developed a shooting robot for individual training that provided one-on-one competition programs and coordinated with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to conduct noise adaptation training at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonbuk. Considering the characteristics of Les Invalides, which is adjacent to the Seine River and prone to strong winds, environmental adaptation training was also conducted along the Namhan River in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.

Another key success factor was the training equipment and methods developed using automotive research and development capabilities. Representative examples include an outdoor multi-camera system that analyzes shooting posture and a portable bow inspection device that monitors the condition of archery equipment in real time. They also produce customized grips optimized for each athlete’s hand using 3D printers and have developed a non-contact heart rate monitoring device to assess athletes’ tension levels, integrating advanced technology in various forms.

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