“Overwhelming” Kim Woo-jin, Kim Je-deok, and Lee Woo-seok defeat India in archery men’s team final to claim back-to-back Asian Games titles… World’s best uphold their pride with “10th victory” [Aichi-Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

The pride of South Korean archery, which had wavered, was restored in the recurve men’s team event. Following their victory at the Hangzhou Games three years ago, they once again stood atop the podium at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with dignity.

The South Korean team, consisting of Kim Woo-jin (34, Cheongju City Hall), Kim Je-deok (22, Jincheon County Office), and Lee Woo-seok (29, Kolon), defeated India 5-1 in the set score in the final of the archery recurve men’s team event at the Games. The match took place on the 2nd at the Multipurpose Plaza of Okazaki Central Comprehensive Park in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Although their eight-peat streak was broken in the women’s team event and they settled for bronze in the mixed team event, they upheld the honor of the world’s strongest nation in the men’s team event.

While not to the same extent as the women’s team, the men’s team also lived up to the title of the world’s best. They defended their top spot eight consecutive times from the 1982 New Delhi Games to the 2010 Guangzhou Games. Although they left a sense of regret with bronze and silver medals at the 2014 Incheon and 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, respectively, they reclaimed the top spot at the Hangzhou Games three years ago and achieved back-to-back titles.

In archery team events, the winner of a set is determined by the total score of six arrows—two each from three athletes. The winning team earns two points for a set, while tied sets result in one point each for both teams. The first team to reach five points wins the match.

After leaving a sense of regret with a loss to emerging powerhouse India in the women’s team event, the men’s team also faced off against India.

After splitting the first set with one point each, South Korea applied pressure on the Indian athletes by consecutively scoring 10 points in the second set. India scored consecutive 8s, and South Korea took the set by a large margin of 57-50.

Leading 3-1, South Korea entered the third set with India having shot 10, 9, and 9. Lee Woo-seok scored 10, while Kim Je-deok and Kim Woo-jin each scored 9, tying the score.

In the second round of three arrows, India started with a 7 and then shot 9 and 10. South Korea began with Lee Woo-seok scoring 10, followed by Kim Je-deok shooting 9, and eldest brother Kim Woo-jin shooting 9 to secure the gold medal.

Meanwhile, in the earlier women’s team event, the Na Seon (CEO) team, consisting of Kang Chae-young (30, Mobis), Oh Ye-jin (23, Gwangju Bank), and Lee Yoon-ji (25, Mobis), lost to India 3-5 in the set score. Although they are on a 10-peat streak at the Olympics, their consecutive gold medal run in team events, which had continued since the 1998 Bangkok Games, came to a halt. They failed to achieve an eight-peat and handed over the throne for the first time in 28 years, leaving a sense of regret.

In the mixed team event as well, Kang Chae-young and Kim Je-deok (22, Yecheon County Office) worked together, but they suffered a 0-6 set score defeat to China in the semifinals. They then defeated Japan 5-1 in the bronze medal match to claim the bronze medal.

Regret lingered in this event as well, given that they had won the gold medal at the previous Games.

Archery, which had maintained its status as the world’s best, has recently faced fierce pursuit from emerging powerhouses due to factors such as domestic coaches moving abroad and the scientization of sports. After India rose to become the strongest nation in compound archery, they also showed rapid growth in recurve at this Games, even toppling the fortress of the Yeo Ja (CEO) team.

Therefore, it was a highly meaningful achievement for the Nam Ja (CEO) team to defeat India and maintain their position at the top.

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*This content was translated by AI.