Okazaki:South Korea secured the mixed team bronze medal in recurve archery at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, after falling short of a gold medal for the second consecutive event.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean archers Kang Chae-young and Kim Je-deok triumphed over Japan's Nanami Asakuno and Junya Nakanishi with a 5-1 set score in the bronze medal match held at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square, located about 50 kilometers southeast of Nagoya.
The mixed team recurve event, which debuted at the Asian Games in 2018, saw South Korea previously winning gold in 2023. However, Kang and Kim were unable to defend the title, losing 6-0 to China's Zhu Jingyi and Liu Mengqi in the semifinals earlier in the day.
In these matches, each archer shoots two arrows per set, with a maximum of four arrows and 40 points per set. A win in a set earns two points, while a tie earns one point. The first team to accumulate five points emerges victorious.
During the semifinals against China, Kim's performance included two 7s and one 8 across his six arrows, while Kang scored four 8s, resulting in a lackluster match.
In the bronze medal match, South Korea began strong with a 39-35 victory in the opening set against Japan, taking a 2-0 lead. Both teams shot a 37 in the next set, extending South Korea's lead to 3-1. The South Korean team then secured the medal with a 37-35 win in the third set.
Earlier, South Korea's women's team, consisting of Kang, Oh Ye-jin, and Lee Yun-ji, lost to India in the final, ending their seven-event winning streak at the Asian Games.