(LEAD) (Olympics) S. Korean archer Kang Chae-young eliminated in individual event

유지호 / 2021-07-30 15:46:50

(LEAD) (Olympics) archery-loss

▲ Kang Chae-young of South Korea shoots her arrow during her women's individual archery quarterfinals match against Elena Osipova of the Russian Olympic Committee at the Tokyo Olympics at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo on July 30, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ Kang Chae-young of South Korea reacts to her loss to Elena Osipova of the Russian Olympic Committee in the women's individual archery quarterfinals match at the Tokyo Olympics at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo on July 30, 2021. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) (Olympics) archery-loss

(LEAD) (Olympics) S. Korean archer Kang Chae-young eliminated in individual event

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By Yoo Jee-ho

TOKYO, July 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korean archer Kang Chae-young was eliminated in the individual event at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, losing a chance to win her second gold medal in Japan.

Kang lost to Elena Osipova of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) by the set score of 7-1 in the quarterfinals of the women's individual event at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field.

In an individual match, archers each shoot three arrows per set. A set win is worth two points and a tie is good for one point. The first to reach six points is the winner.

Kang had earlier won gold in the women's team event. Her teammate An San moved on to the semifinals soon after Kang's elimination.

Kang and Osipova each shot 28 points in the opening set. Then Osipova took the lead after beating Kang 29-25 in the second set. Kang hit an 8 twice in that second set.

Osipova extended her lead to 5-1 after a 27-26 win in the third set. Kang hit an 8 to put herself into a deep hole.

Osipova shot 10s with her first two arrows of the fourth set, beating Kang 29-27 and closing out the match at 7-1.

Kang, in tears after the loss, said she lost her focus when arrows that she felt would score 10s ended up hitting 8s and 9s.

This was Kang's first Olympics. Kang said she immediately started thinking about getting back at it in the next Olympics in Paris in three years' time.

"This was a good learning experience for me," Kang said. "I wasn't as sharp this week as I had been before the Olympics got postponed by a year (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Over the next three years, I am going to be back even better."

Kang missed out on the 2016 Olympics after finishing one point out of the final national team spot in the Olympic trials. She said her Olympic debut in Tokyo will go down as "a turning point" in her life.

"Just being at the Olympics has changed my life," she said. "I'll have more Olympics and Asian Games and other events coming up. And I'll be preparing for them as an Olympic gold medalist."

(END)