Nagoya:Lee Woo-seok finally clinched the elusive gold medal in the men's individual recurve event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, fulfilling a dream he had pursued since the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. In 2018, Lee secured two silvers in the men's team and individual events. At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, he took home two golds in the men's team and mixed team recurve events, and a bronze in the men's individual event.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee defeated Japan's Junya Nakanishi in the final, achieving his long-cherished goal. Reflecting on past performances, Lee expressed disappointment with his previous silver and bronze finishes, particularly noting a lost final in a shoot-off at the Hangzhou Games. He credited his focus and self-conviction as key to his victory in the latest competition.
Lee also acknowledged the support of his teammates Kim Je-deok and Kim Woo-jin, who contributed to the men's team recurve gold medal the previous day and at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Their encouragement and training together played a vital role in his preparation for the individual final.
During the final, a moment of tension arose when Lee shot an 8 after his opponent's 9 in the second set. A voice from the athletes' seats urged him to stay focused, attributing the miss to the wind. This advice helped him regain concentration.
Lee humorously rated his performance 120 out of 100, a significant improvement from the score he gave himself three years prior. He expressed his intent to savor the victory briefly before resuming his training efforts.