Lone Korean boxer loses in competition's 2nd round

Ham Sang-myeong, the lone South Korean boxer in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, lost in the second round of the men's bantamweight (56kg) class on Sunday.Ham lost to Zhang Jiawei of China in a unanimous decision. The score was 3-0 (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) for the Chinese. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldHam initially came up short in the Olympic qualifying event but got his spot at the last minute when another boxer withdrew from the Rio Games.The South Korean boxer had defeated Zhang for the gold medal

Olympic GamesAug. 15, 2016

Taekwondo title favorite says he's in peak form

The Olympic taekwondo title favorite Lee Dae-hoon on Sunday said he's never been in better form in his career.Lee and the rest of the South Korean taekwondo team arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, three days before the start of their competition at the ongoing Summer Games. They had been training in Sao Paulo for two weeks. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldLee, a gold medal favorite in the 68kg, sounded confident ahead of his second Olympics."I am sure I can get better as I keep training, but I t

Olympic GamesAug. 15, 2016

Korean wrestler Kim Hyeon-woo overcomes judging controversy to win bronze

South Korean Greco-Roman wrestler Kim Hyeon-woo grabbed bronze at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Sunday, overcoming a judging controversy in his first round defeat.Kim, the 2012 Olympic champion in 66kg, beat Bozo Starcevic of Croatia 6-4 in the 75kg bronze medal match. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldKim had lost to Roman Vlasov of Russia in the round of 16, his first match of Sunday, by 7-5.Down 6-3 in the dying moments, Kim executed a move that he thought was worth four points. The referee inst

Olympic GamesAug. 15, 2016

Korean men's golf coach glad he didn't have to play

Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldSouth Korean Olympic men's golf coach Choi Kyoung-ju once wished he could have played for the country himself in Rio de Janeiro.But after watching his two players battle through the windy conditions for four days, Choi said he's glad he didn't have to."Earlier in the season, I kept trying to make the team because I wanted to play in the Olympics myself," Choi told reporters at Olympic Golf Course, after An Byeong-hun and Wang Jeung-hun wrapped up their days. "There

Olympic GamesAug. 15, 2016

Korean golfer gives himself '80 points' after solid showing

South Korean golfer An Byeong-hun gave himself "80 points" out of 100 after a solid showing at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic men's golf on Sunday.An finished his tournament at six-under 278 at par-71, 7,128-yard Olympic Golf Course. He shot a three-under 68 in the final round, which included two eagles. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldAn finished tied for 11th with three other players, 10 behind the gold medalist, Justin Rose of Britain."Even though I didn't win a medal, I had a good experience here

Olympic GamesAug. 15, 2016

Korean golfer finally enjoys Olympic experience in last round

After taking himself out of medal contention early at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic men's golf, South Korean Wang Jeung-hun said Sunday he finally enjoyed himself on the links in the final round.Wang shot a four-under 67 on Sunday at the par-71, 7,128-yard Olympic Golf Course. He began the day tied for 51st at six-over, and moved to a four-way tie for 43rd after shooting his best round of the tournament. Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald"Today, I enjoyed the game for the first time in Rio," Wang said

Olympic GamesAug. 15, 2016

South Korea appealing controversial wrestling decision

South Korea is taking steps to appeal a controversial ruling that cost its Greco-Roman wrestler a victory at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, though the final result still won't likely change, officials said Sunday.In the men's 75kg event at Carioca Arena 2, Kim Hyeon-woo lost to the reigning gold medalist, Roman Vlasov of Russia, by 7-5 in the round of 16. Kim won the 2012 Olympic gold in 66kg and was going for another gold in the new weight class. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldTrailing 6-3 in the

Olympic GamesAug. 15, 2016

Ex-gold medalist bows out of first round in wrestling

Former South Korean Olympic wrestling champion Kim Hyeon-woo bowed out of the first round at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Sunday.Kim, who won the 2012 gold medal in 66kg Greco-Roman, lost 7-5 to Roman Vlasov of Russia in the round of 16 in the 75kg event. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldVlasov is the 2015 world champion and the reigning gold medalist in the 75kg weight category. Kim was trying to become the second South Korean wrestler to win two straight gold medals in two different weight clas

Olympic GamesAug. 15, 2016

Phelps signs off with 23rd gold medal

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) – Michael Phelps brought down the curtain on his glittering Olympic career when he helped the USA win 4x100m medley relay gold at the Rio Games on Saturday, taking his personal tally to 23.Phelps took the lead in the third leg, the butterfly, before Nathan Adrian brought it home as the United States won ahead of Britain and Australia. United States` Michael Phelps reacts after the men`s 100-meter butterfly final during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, F

Olympic GamesAug. 14, 2016

A new Jamaican champion makes her mark in Olympic 100 meters

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – A changing of the guard in women's sprints doesn't mean a redrawing of the map.That 100-meter Olympic gold medal is heading back to Jamaica, only this time in the hands of Elaine Thompson, the 24-year-old who took down America's best, to say nothing of her training partner, two-time defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.  Jamaica`s Elaine Thompson wins the gold medal in the women`s 100-meter final during the athletics competitions of the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Oly

Olympic GamesAug. 14, 2016

S. Korean football bid foiled by hot hands in opposing net

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (Yonhap) – South Korea raninto a hot goalkeeper in their bid for a second straight Olympicfootball medal Saturday, as Honduras eliminated them in the quarterfinals with a 1-0 win.South Korea outshot Honduras 16-6 at Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, some 340 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro, but couldn't put one past Luis Lopez in net. South Korea lost to Honduras 1-0 in the quarterfinals in Belo Horizonte, north of Rio, on Saturday. (Yonhap)Alberth Elis was the goal scorer fo

Olympic GamesAug. 14, 2016

S. Korea must avoid taking fouls in football quarters: captain

 On the eve of South Korea's Olympic football quarterfinals against Honduras, captain Jang Hyun-soo said his players must avoid taking unnecessary fouls.Jang and the rest of the team got their last practice in behind the closed doors in Belo Horizonte, some 340 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro, the host of the ongoing Summer Games.The match kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Mineirao. Korea National Football Team (Yonhap)After the practice, Jang told reporters that he and his teammates must not e

Olympic GamesAug. 13, 2016

Weightlifter Rim Jong-sim wins N. Korea's 1st gold in Rio

Weightlifter Rim Jong-sim claimed North Korea's first gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics Friday.Rim won the women's 75kg class with a total of 274kg -- with 121kg in snatch and 153kg in clean and jerk.Darya Naumava of Belarus was a distant second with 258kg total, followed by Lidia Valentin Perez of Spain with 257kg. Rim Jong Sim, of North Korea, competes in the women`s 75kg weightlifting competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.(AP)In 2012, Rim won the Olympic

Olympic GamesAug. 13, 2016

S. Korea sweeps all four archery titles in Rio

South Korea made Olympic archery history at the Rio de Janeiro Games on Friday -- which is  saying something because the country seems to have been doing that for decades.Ku Bon-chan won the men's individual gold medal, beating Jean-Charles Valladont of France 7-3 (30-28, 28-26, 29-29, 28-29, 27-26).With Ku's victories, South Korea captured all four archery titles in Rio, an unprecedented feat in Olympic history. South Korea now has 23 archery gold medals, easily tops among all nations.South Kor

Olympic GamesAug. 13, 2016

North Korean weightlifter Om Yun-chol may have falsified age: report

North Korean Olympic weightlifting champion Om Yun-chol may have falsified his age, a report said.Om, the 2012 Olympic champion in the men's 56kg who took silver at the ongoing Rio de Janeiro Games, is listed as 24, born on Nov.18, 1991.Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldHowever, The New York Times reported on Thursday that a book titled "Olympic Champions Who Bring Glory to the Motherland," published in Pyongyang in 2014, cites Om's birth year as 1990.The newspaper said it could have been a simple m

Olympic GamesAug. 12, 2016

Korea gets two medals Thursday from archery;shut out in judo, fencing

Both of South Korea's medals on Thursday at the Rio de Janeiro Games came from archery, which became the country's most successful Olympic sport.Chang Hye-jin captured the women's individual gold medal over Lisa Unruh of Germany, bringing home its 22nd Olympic archery title. Archery has overtaken short track speedskating, where the country has won 21 gold medals.Chang defeated her teammate Ki Bo-bae in the semifinals. Ki, the 2012 individual champion, settled for the bronze medal this time.Park

Olympic GamesAug. 12, 2016

Short of making history, archer still pleased with bronze

For Ki Bo-bae, the gold in women's individual archery at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics would have meant so much to history.She would have become the first archer to capture two gold medals in two straight Olympics. A South Korean woman has won every individual gold but one since 1984 but mainly because of the depth in the national talent pool, no one has won in consecutive Olympics.And Ki certainly had her chances. In the semifinals against teammate and eventual champion Chang Hye-jin, Ki couldn't

Olympic GamesAug. 12, 2016