PARIS — South Korean rifle shooters Park Ha-jun and Keum Ji-hyeon, unexpectedly paired for the mixed team event, captured silver on Saturday at the Paris Olympics, marking the country’s first medal in the 33rd edition of the Games.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the decision to team Park and Keum together came just days before the competition, despite initial plans that had them competing separately. This last-minute change reunited a duo that had previously claimed a World Cup title, leveraging their established rapport. In the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event, the pair scored 12 points against China’s Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting, who won with 16 points. The competition format required each team to fire single shots, adding their scores together for each round, aiming to be the first to reach 16 points.
Despite a strong start winning the opening series, Park and Keum struggled in subsequent rounds, never regaining the lead after their initial victory, though they did manage to narrow the gap to 14-12 before the final shots. The reshuffling of teams by KSF was based on performance assessments leading up to the Olympics, with Keum replacing the initially selected teammate due to her superior recent performances.
Keum reflected on the trust and past successes she shared with Park, which she believed played a crucial role in their performance. Meanwhile, Park acknowledged some initial awkwardness but felt their relationship improved as the event progressed. The young athletes left on the sidelines, Choe Dae-han and Ban Hyo-jin, ended up 22nd in qualifications but supported their senior teammates enthusiastically from the stands.
Looking ahead, both Park and Keum are set to compete in the individual 10m air rifle events, with Park expressing a calm confidence boosted by the day’s success and Keum motivated by a strong desire to excel and secure individual gold, especially after facing stiff competition from the Chinese team.