PARIS -- South Korean archer Lim Si-hyeon set a world record in the women's ranking round of the Paris Olympics on Thursday, marking a strong start to her Summer Games debut. Lim scored 694 out of a possible 720 points at Les Invalides in Paris, finishing first in the ranking round.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lim, a triple Asian Games gold medalist from last fall, will be the top seed in the individual competition, which begins Tuesday with the round of 64. Lim will also represent South Korea in the mixed team event on August 2, partnering with the top South Korean archer in the men's ranking round.
The mixed team event, introduced at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, saw South Korean archer An San win three gold medals, including the mixed team gold. An did not make the team for Paris, and Lim now aims to win three gold medals herself. "I'm grateful for this opportunity. I will try to make the most of it," Lim told reporters. She acknowledged feeling nervous about her first Olympics but focused on enjoying the experience.
In the ranking round, Lim led with 48 10s and earned 21 Xs for hitting the innermost gold ring on the target. Archers fired 72 arrows, six arrows each over 12 ends, and Lim scored nothing but 10s and 9s until hitting an 8 with the last arrow of her 10th end. Nam Su-hyeon of South Korea finished second overall with 688 points, while Jeon Hun-young ranked 13th with 664 points. The combined scores of the three archers set an Olympic record of 2,046 points, 50 points ahead of runner-up China. South Korea will be the top seed in the women's team event on Sunday.
South Korea had set the previous Olympic record in Tokyo with 2,032 points. "I was such a nervous wreck because this is my first Olympics. I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't hurt the team," said Nam, the youngest of the trio at 19. Jeon, the oldest at 30, added, "My teammates did a great job and I tried to hold up my end of the bargain. I will try to do my best for the rest of the Olympics."
By securing the top seed, South Korea will advance straight to the quarterfinals, facing the winner of the round of 16 match between Chinese Taipei and the United States. South Korea, undefeated in the women's team event, aims to win its 10th consecutive gold medal. South Korea is the most successful nation in Olympic archery history, with 27 gold medals and 43 medals overall.