[Tokyo Olympics] Volleyball great Kim Yeon-koung retires from int'l play

TOKYO -- South Korean volleyball legend Kim Yeon-koung announced her retirement from international play Sunday, an hour after the team's straight-set loss to Serbia in the bronze medal match of the Tokyo Olympics. Fighting back tears after South Korea fell short of a medal at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Kim said she has played her last match for the national team. "Today was my last game as a national team player," Kim said. "It's disappointing to end the Olympics like this. But I am

Olympic GamesAug. 8, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea loses to Serbia to finish 4th in women's volleyball

TOKYO -- South Korea lost to Serbia in the bronze medal match of the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament Sunday, as the unlikely storybook run to the final four came to a heartbreaking end. The sixth-ranked Serbia took down No. 12 South Korea 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-15) at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. This is the final day of the Olympics. Captain Kim Yeon-koung led South Korea with 11 points. South Korea had no answer for Tijana Boskovic, who dominated with 33 points. South Korea managed to

Olympic GamesAug. 8, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea misses out on baseball bronze with loss to Dominican Republic

South Korea blew a late lead and lost to the Dominican Republic 10-6 in the bronze medal game of the Tokyo Olympic baseball tournament Saturday, after coming within six outs of its second straight Olympic medal. 　Closer Oh Seung-hwan allowed five runs in the top of the eighth as a 6-5 lead for South Korea turned into a 10-6 deficit at Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. 　South Korea won the gold in 2008, the last time baseball was contested at the Olympics. This year, South Korea lo

Olympic GamesAug. 7, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] What you need to know about sport climbing at Tokyo 2020

Sport climbing was first introduced as a competing event at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia. It debuted as an official Olympic event at the ongoing Tokyo 2020. Sport climbing at the Tokyo Olympics features three disciplines: “Speed,” “Bouldering,” and “Lead.” In the Speed discipline, athletes compete to scurry to the top of a 15-meter artificial rock wall, set at an angle of 95 degrees, with safety ropes. In Bouldering, athl

Olympic GamesAug. 7, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Koreans come up short in last-round charge

The last-gasp charge ultimately wasn‘t enough for South Korean golfers, as they all failed to claim a medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. World No. 2 Ko Jin-young and No. 4 Kim Sei-young finished at 10-under 274, good for a tie for ninth as the top South Korean players at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, north of Tokyo. Nelly Korda of the United States captured the gold medal at 17-under 267. Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Mone Inami of Japan finished regulation tied for second

Olympic GamesAug. 7, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] LPGA star Park In-bee bids adieu to Olympics

After coming up short in her gold medal defense Saturday in Japan, LPGA Hall of Famer Park In-bee said she was done playing at the Olympics. “I don‘t think there will be a next Olympics for me,” Park said, after shooting a two-under 69 in the final round of the Tokyo Olympic women’s golf tournament at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, north of Tokyo. She finished her tournament at five-under 279, tied for 23rd with leaders still on the course. “I‘ve now

Olympic GamesAug. 7, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea loses to Brazil, falls to bronze medal match in women's volleyball

TOKYO -- South Korea's Cinderella run through the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament hit a speed bump on Friday, with a straight-set loss to Brazil. World No. 2 Brazil easily handled the 11th-ranked South Korea 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-16) at Ariaka Arena in Tokyo. The loss sends South Korea to the bronze medal match against the sixth-ranked Serbia at 9 a.m. Sunday, the last day of the Olympics. Serbia defeated South Korea in three sets on Monday in the preliminary round. (Yonhap)

SportsAug. 6, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korean Kim Se-hee finishes 11th in modern pentathlon

TOKYO -- South Korean Kim Se-hee finished 11th in the women's modern pentathlon at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday. She scored a total of 1,330 points to rank 11th after fencing, swimming, horse riding and a combined event of shooting and running, or laser run, at Tokyo Stadium. Her teammate Kim Sun-woo finished 17th. It tied the country's best Olympic performance with Jung Jin-hwa and Kim Mi-seop in the men's event in 2012 and 1996, respectively. And it is the highest Olympic ranking notched by

SportsAug. 6, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Park Hee-jun narrowly misses inaugural medal in karate

TOKYO -- Park Hee-jun just missed out on South Korea's first Olympic medal in karate on Friday, losing to a Turkish foe in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Summer Games. Park earned 26.14 points, 1.12 points behind Ali Sofuoglu of Turkey in the bronze medal bout for the men's kata event at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. In kata, contestants perform moves from a predefined list, and they're evaluated by seven judges. Technical and athletic performances are assessed separately. The two highest and

SportsAug. 6, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea falls to Japan to miss out on bronze in men's team table tennis

TOKYO -- South Korea lost to Japan in the bronze medal match of the men's table tennis team event at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, frittering away its final opportunity to salvage a ping pong medal in the Japanese capital. Japan prevailed over South Korea by 3-1 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Japan won the opening doubles match and also claimed the next singles match. South Korea won the second singles match, before Japan finished things off with a victory in the third singles contest. Sout

Olympic GamesAug. 6, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Gold medal defense unlikely, LPGA Hall of Famer 'disappointed' with herself

SAITAMA -- A dozen shots off the lead by the time her third round was complete, LPGA Hall of Famer Park In-bee will be hard pressed to defend her Olympic gold medal this weekend in Japan. Park, a veteran known for her stoicism on and off the course, didn't mince words in assessing her own play Friday at the Tokyo Olympics. "I was really disappointed with myself today," Park said after shooting an even 71 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, north of Tokyo. She is three-under for

Olympic GamesAug. 6, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korean baseball team to take last shot at medal vs. Dominican Republic

TOKYO -- Bronze may not be the medal that the South Korean baseball team wanted to win at the Tokyo Olympics, but it will have a chance to salvage at least that third-place prize Saturday. South Korea, the 2008 Olympic baseball champion, will face the Dominican Republic in the bronze medal game at noon Saturday at Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. South Korea has lost its last two games to drop to the consolation game. In the semifinals Wednesday, Japan knocked off the defending ch

Olympic GamesAug. 6, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Fans of volleyball icon Kim Yeon-koung launch tree donation drive for Turkey beset by wildfires

TOKYO-- Fans of Kim Yeon-koung, captain of the South Korean women's Olympic volleyball team, have launched a drive to donate tree saplings to Turkey, which is currently battling severe wildfires, following the team's hard-fought victory over the transcontinental nation. Devoted followers of the star captain have started a movement on Twitter and other social media in South Korea, sharing images of certificates and screenshots showing their tree sapling donations to Turkey in the name of either

Olympic GamesAug. 6, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Baseball team in battle for bronze Saturday

TOKYO -- South Korea has failed to defend its baseball gold medal from 13 years ago, but it will still have a chance to salvage bronze at the Tokyo Olympics Saturday, the penultimate day of competition. South Korea will play the Dominican Republic in the bronze medal game starting at noon Saturday at Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. The South Korean players made the whole medal quest tough on themselves. South Korea lost to Japan 5-2 in the semifinals Wednesday, when a win would h

Olympic GamesAug. 6, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Kim Se-hee in 2nd after fencing in modern pentathlon

TOKYO -- South Korean Kim Se-hee is in second place after the fencing ranking round of the modern pentathlon event at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday. Kim went 24-11 in her 35 fencing bouts to earn 244 points in the early fencing portion of the competition at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza in Tokyo. The one other Korean in action, Kim Sun-woo, went 19-16 with 214 points to rank 14th among 36 athletes. The female pentathletes will compete in freestyle swimming, riding show jumping and laser ru

Olympic GamesAug. 5, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Nothing to lose, everything to gain, as S. Korea takes on Brazil in volleyball semis

South Korea will try to write a new chapter in its underdog story, as it takes on world No. 2 Brazil in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament Friday. After knocking down world No. 4 Turkey in the quarterfinals and climbing two spots to reach No. 11 in the rankings, South Korea is now playing with house money. Captain Kim Yeon-koung and Co. have guaranteed themselves at least two more matches in Tokyo. Beat the second-ranked Brazil in the semifinals, starting at 9 p.

Olympic GamesAug. 5, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Volleyball players thrive under hard-working, adaptable coach

TOKYO -- When South Korean middle blocker Yang Hyo-jin sees her national team head coach Stefano Lavarini, she sees a bit of mad scientist in him. "He spends so much time watching and studying videos (of opponents) to prepare for matches," Yang said Wednesday, moments after South Korea upset Turkey in five sets in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament. "Before matches, he talks about how we should execute our game plan to a T in order for everything

Olympic GamesAug. 5, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Diver looking to make more history

TOKYO -- Woo Haram posted the best Olympic performance by a South Korean diver when he ranked fourth in the 3m springboard final Tuesday. Could an Olympic medal be in his near future? We'll find out in the 10m platform, Woo's next event scheduled for Friday. Woo will be among 29 divers in the preliminary. The top 18 will progress to the semifinals for Saturday. From there, the top 12 will qualify for the final later that same day. At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Woo reached the final in the

Olympic GamesAug. 5, 2021

[Tokyo Olympcis] S. Korean Seo Chae-hyun reaches finals of women's sport climbing

South Korean teen climber Seo Chae-hyun reached the final of the women's sport climbing competition at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday. Seo, 17, ranked second to Janja Garnbret of Slovenia with a combined 85 points in the qualifying round of the inaugural Olympic sport at Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo after three events -- speed, bouldering and lead. Along with seven other finalists, Seo will contend for the gold medal in the finals to be held Friday. She placed 17th out of 20 athletes in t

Olympic GamesAug. 4, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea loses to Japan in baseball semifinals, still alive in tournament

YOKOHAMA, Japan -- Defending champion South Korea lost to its bitter rival Japan 5-2 in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympic baseball tournament on Wednesday. The loss, however, doesn't mean the end of South Korea's run. In the complicated double elimination tournament, South Korea has dropped into the loser's bracket and will play the United States at 7 p.m. Thursday for the right to reach the gold medal game. The US defeated the Dominican Republic earlier Wednesday in a repechage game to sta

Olympic GamesAug. 4, 2021