South Korea dominates world Archery
South Korean archers have earned a total of 19 gold medals in the Games, with a special mention to Soo-Nyung Kim, the queen of the sport
Ki Bo Bae competes in her Women's Individual Archery Gold Medal match during London 2012 Olympic Games (Getty Images/Julia Vynokurova)
Archery made its Olympic debut in Paris 1900. But it was only in Seoul 1988 that the sport had a queen. Declared Female Archer of the 20th Century by the International Federation, South Korean Soo-Nyung Kim made her debut in the world’s greatest sporting competition at the age of 17. Earning a total of six medals, including four golds, she is the most decorated South Korean Olympian.
Competing at home, Kim won gold medals in both individual and team events. In Barcelona 1992, she took a gold and a bronze. At that time, she chose to retire from sport in order to marry and raise her two children. Seven years later, she resumed competing. And, in Sydney 2000, she once again climbed on the Olympic podium, winning a gold and a bronze.
With a total of 19 gold medals, South Korean Archery still dominates the world stage. In London 2012, the country’s archers won three out of four events, with special mentions to Jin Hyek Oh and Ki Bo Bae, champions in individual. Ki Bo Bae also took gold in team. Marco Galiazzo’s Italy finished first in the men’s team event. Galiazzo also has a gold medal in individual, which he won in Athens 2004.
Young female Mexicans have great performances in London and are expected to perform well in Rio 2016
South Korean hegemony might be threatened. Two young female Mexicans had unprecedented results in London 2012 and are expected to win medals in Rio 2016. 25-year-old Aida Roman and 20-year-old Mariana Avitia took silver and bronze respectively in the last edition of the Olympic Games – their country’s first medals in the sport. Besides the Olympic medal, Avitia was chosen Athlete of the Year in an election on the International Federation’s website.
The Mexican archers’ unprecedented Olympic success started in Singapore 2010, the first edition of Youth Olympic Games, when Mariana Avitia made it to the podium herself. A communications student at the University of Nuevo León, Avitia is one of the world’s most popular archers and one of the favourites to win the title in the 2013 World Championships that start on the 29th in Belek, Turkey.
