The archery competition at Rio 2016 came to a close this Friday (12 August) at the Sambodromo, ending with a clean sweep of gold medals for the Republic of Korea.

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In a dramatic final day, Korean archer Ku Bonchan defeated 2016 European champion Jean-Charles Valladont of France for the men's individual gold, meaning that the Republic of Korea have won all four gold medals available in the archery at Rio 2016.

Ku began the final scoring a perfect 30, quickly going on to winning the first two sets. The Korean could have wrapped things up in the third set but Valladont’s 28 was upgraded to a 29 after a judge ruled one arrow in the 10 ring.

After coming close to sealing it again in the fourth set, Ku finally guaranteed a Korean gold medal whitewash after his 27 in the final set was good enough to see off Valladont. In a dramatic finish, Ku and his coaches got down on their knees to thank them for their warm support.

“It’s the most respectful way to give thanks to the spectators who cheered for me,” he said. “I’m so happy. Tonight will be very beautiful as well.”

As has been a feature at Rio 2016 Games so far, the Brazilian crowd provided a great atmosphere, especially during the shoot-off, the head-to-head portion of the competition used to find a clear winner. The stadium commentator built up the shoot-off to be a “flecha da morte” (arrow of death) pantomime to the delight of the crowd.

When asked how long the Republic of Korea would continue to dominate the sport, Ku said: “I’m not sure yet, but this is sure: every time we do our best to prepare for the Olympics.”

Silver medallist Valladont was upbeat about the result even though he was not able to pull off an upset against the Korean. “It was ecstasy. Being in the gold final is actually easier, because you’re sure to have a medal, so you can just have fun up there without any pressure.”

"I did everything I could to stay in the match. It's the law of sport: the best wins. I shot well during the final, but Ku Bonchan is very strong.”

Brady Ellison of the United States joined the Korean and the Frenchman on the podium, happy with the individual Olympic medal that had eluded him at two previous Games.

"Every match is a dogfight and it has been a long day," he said. "I've been dreaming about this moment for about 10 years. I don't know about life-changing; it's just a medal and I have a lot more tournaments to win before I'm done."