'Now I understand why we are the world's strongest.' Why has South Korea's archery team been visiting Gwangju since 2018... In Japan, even 'morning travel distance' was calculated.

*This content was translated by AI.

There is a reason why South Korean archery is called the world's strongest.

The South Korean national archery team preparing for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held special training at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 5th.

Participants included recurve representatives Kang Chae-young (30, Hyundai Mobis), Oh Ye-jin (23, Gwangju Bank), Lee Yun-ji (25, Hyundai Mobis), Kim Je-deok (22, Yecheon County Office), Kim Woo-jin (34, Cheongju City Hall), and Lee Woo-seok (29, Kolon), along with the compound team, totaling 12 athletes.

Since 2018, South Korean archery has conducted adaptation training at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field before major international tournaments. This is not a simple event. It is a form of real-game practice to maintain their usual routines without disruption amidst numerous external stimuli such as crowd cheers, support, arena broadcasts, and electronic scoreboards.

Olympic and Asian Games archery events are also held in special stadiums surrounded by large crowds. Even if an athlete shoots perfectly in a quiet training venue, it is useless if they are shaken by the surrounding environment at critical moments.

Kim Woo-jin, who has won five Olympic gold medals, stated that he is no exception to nervousness. Meeting reporters on-site, Kim smiled and said, "We are all human beings. When we go out in front of many spectators and perform something, we feel nervous and embarrassed just like anyone else. Think of this as taking a mock exam here."

He added, "We practice here first so that we can do our own thing without being flustered by the presence of spectators. This way, when we go to the actual stadium, we can blend in naturally."

Lee Woo-seok also said, "The purpose is to adapt as quickly as possible in a new environment and show our true abilities," adding, "The more frequently we conduct such training, the faster our adaptation will be."

Adapting only to noise was not enough. The national team even flew to Japan last month. For about a week, they toured the actual venue where the Asian Games would be held and trained at nearby archery ranges.

Coincidentally, since the athletes did not appear at the official media day, jokes circulated that they were "cutting off all external schedules and staying secluded to train." Kim Woo-jin laughed and explained, "That rumor is somewhat incorrect. We didn't avoid going out; we simply couldn't attend because our external training schedule was already set."

That external schedule was the pre-adaptation training in Japan. Athletes visually confirmed the actual competition venues and examined the surrounding environment. This was not the end. They also experienced how to travel from their accommodation to the training ground and stadium, what they would eat, and how they would live locally.

This tournament differs from previous ones in that instead of large-scale apartment-style athlete villages, cruise ships at Nagoya Port are being used as athlete accommodations, among other differences in living environments compared to typical international multi-sport events. The routes outside the stadium were also variables that archery athletes, for whom daily condition is crucial, needed to learn in advance.

Kim Woo-jin explained, "Athletes checked in advance the distances they would need to travel during the actual competition," adding, "We experienced the distance by car, the local environment, and aspects of what we would eat and live on."

Lee Woo-seok, listening nearby, joked, "They even calculated the distance traveled by car after waking up in the morning. Think of it as having already held the Asian Games."

It was not an empty remark. The team did not enter the stadium directly, but they experienced the day of the Asian Games in advance—from waking up in the morning, eating meals, traveling by car, to shooting arrows.

Preparations continued domestically as well. At the Jincheon National Athlete Village archery range, training was conducted with an environment similar to the special stage for the Asian Games. Lee Woo-seok explained, "We are continuously training on a special stage that is almost identical to the Asian Games setup. This is to get our eyes accustomed to such an environment as much as possible."

In that sense, the noise and visual variables encountered in Gwangju were also significant experiences. The gold medals won at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Paris Olympics after adaptation training at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field serve as proof. Kim Woo-jin emphasized, "Making excuses like 'I couldn't perform because of the environment or food' is just an excuse. Athletes from other countries face the same conditions. What matters most is how quickly you adapt to that environment and raise your condition accordingly."

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*This content was translated by AI.