Team, Women

Korea’s female archers took their eighth consecutive gold medal in the team event, and continued the clean sweep since the introduction of this event in 1988. The Korean team were the clear favorites after setting a new world record of 2045 with 216 arrows over 70 m just two months before the Olympics. Consequently, they finished the ranking round with a sixty points lead before Russia. After beating Japan in the quarter-final, and the eventual bronze medal winners, Chinese Taipei, in the semi-final, their victory over Russia in the final was never in doubt.

Against Chinese Taipei, the Korean squad started with a perfect 60 in the first set. Like their fellow countrymen in the men’s team event, the Korean women did not lose a single set but had to settle for ties in one set in each of their matches. Their opponents in the final, Russia, were the reigning world champions, but had a tough time defeating India in their first match, winning only after a shoot-out. In their next match, they trailed Italy by 1-3 before coming back to win 5-3 and a place in the final, thus ending a streak of 24 years without an Olympic medal for female Russian archers. Chinese Taipei secured the bronze medal with a 5-3 victory against Italy.

Particularly unlucky losers were Aida Roman from Mexico and Carolina Aguirre from Colombia. Under time pressure, Roman shot only a five with her last regular arrow. That forced the team into a shoot-out against Chinese Taipei, which Mexico lost. Aguirre fell victim to her nerves when she shot only a three in the final three against India.