[Tokyo Olympics] Pitchers get early taste of hitter-friendly ballpark

YOKOHAMA -- After serving up a game-tying solo home run to Israel in the top of the ninth inning to blow a 5-4 lead for South Korea on Thursday, closer Oh Seung-hwan wore an incredulous smile on his face that said, "Oh no, not again." Welcome to Yokohama Stadium, home of the baseball tournament for the Tokyo Olympics. It's a smallish park, stretching 94 meters down the lines and 118 meters to dead center. And the wind was blowing out on this night, and South Korea and Israel had thre

July 30, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Archer going for 2nd gold in Tokyo

South Korean archer Kim Woo-jin will take aim at his second gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday, when the medal round in the individual event will take place. Kim Woo-jin won the team gold medal on Monday, alongside Kim Je-deok and Oh Jin-hyek. The latter two were gone after the round of 32 in the individual event, leaving Kim Woo-jin, who has reached the round of 16, to try to extend South Korea's winning streak in the event to three Olympics. Oh won the individual gold in 2012 and K

July 30, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Much-maligned baseball player delivers clutch hits in opening win

YOKOHAMA -- Few players, if any, on the South Korean national baseball team had as much to prove as shortstop Oh Ji-hwan at the Tokyo Olympics. And it only took him one game on Thursday to demonstrate his value as an outstanding fielder with pop. Despite his credentials as among the best defenders in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Oh's selection to the team in June was met with major criticism -- from those who still remembered the controversy that Oh's presence on the 2018 Asian Games

July 30, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea puts 2 pairs in badminton women's doubles semis, secures at least bronze

South Korea has secured at least a bronze medal in the women's doubles badminton event at the Tokyo Olympics, after two pairs advanced to the semifinals on the opposite sides of the bracket on Thursday. Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong defeated Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara of Japan 2-1 (21-14, 14-21, 28-26) in the quarterfinals at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza. Hours later, Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan beat Selena Piek and Cheryl Seinen of the Netherlands 2-0 (21-8, 21-17) in the quarters

July 29, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Male epee fencers looking to extend medal streak for S. Korea

TOKYO -- South Korea began the team portion of the Tokyo Olympic fencing competition with a silver medal in the women's epee Tuesday. Then the men's sabre team won gold on Wednesday. South Korea doesn't have a team for the women's foil event for Thursday. Next up: the men's epee team on Friday. Hey, no pressure. Park Sang-young, the 2016 individual epee champion who failed to defend his title, will lead the epee team of Kwon Young-jun, Ma Se-geon and Song Jae-ho at the team competition at Mak

July 29, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Gold medal just the beginning for S. Korean sabre fencing

CHIBA -- There are few things more exciting in sports than watching Olympic athletes at the top of their game. In winning their team gold medal Wednesday night at the Tokyo Olympics, the South Korean sabre fencers Kim Jung-hwan, Gu Bon-gil, Oh Sang-uk and Kim Jun-ho performed with power, grace and ease that defy the difficult nature of the sport. They manhandled Italy 45-26 at Makuhari Messe Hall B in Chiba, east of Tokyo, to bring South Korea its second straight gold in the men's sabre team e

July 29, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Moon congratulates epee fencing team, taekwondo players on Olympic medals

President Moon Jae-in sent congratulatory messages Wednesday to the members of South Korea's female epee fencing team and two taekwondo players for winning medals at the Tokyo Olympics. Moon pointed out that the fencing squad has proved its world's best-level ability by securing silver again the previous day after doing the same during the 2012 London Olympics. "Thank you for bringing joy to the people," Moon wrote in his message for each member of the contingent -- Kang Young-mi,

July 28, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Lee Ju-ho breaks S. Korean record in men's 200m backstroke

South Korean swimmer Lee Ju-ho set a national record in the men's 200m backstroke at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, the second swimming national mark to fall on this day. Lee finished his heat in 1:56.77 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre to qualify for the semifinals with room to spare. He was fourth overall among the 16 qualifiers. The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday morning. The top eight from there will reach the final for Friday. No South Korean swimmer has reached an Olympic final in a ba

July 28, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea defends gold in men's team sabre fencing

South Korea captured its second straight gold medal in the men's team sabre fencing on Wednesday, joining a short list of fencing powerhouses with multiple Olympic titles in the discipline. The team of Kim Jung-hwan, Gu Bon-gil, Oh Sang-uk and Kim Jun-ho took down Italy 45-26 in the gold medal match at Makuhari Messe Hall B in Chiba, east of Tokyo, on Wednesday. This is the fourth gold medal for South Korea at the Tokyo Olympics, and the first to come from a sport other than archery. South K

July 28, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea rout 10-man Honduras to reach men's football quarterfinals

South Korea cruised into the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympic men's football tournament on Wednesday with a 6-0 victory over Honduras. Striker Hwang Ui-jo scored a hat trick in the first half against 10-man Honduras at International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. South Korea won Group B with six points from two wins and a loss. South Korea entered this match in first place in the group and only needed a draw to advance to the knockouts. They instead beat up on a hapless Hondu

July 28, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Record-breaking swimmer just happy to be in final in 100m freestyle

TOKYO -- Hwang Sun-woo, the 18-year-old South Korean swimmer on the cusp of becoming the country's next sporting hero, thinks he's got some sort of superpower in him. How else would you explain Hwang's past 24 hours at the Tokyo Olympics? On Tuesday, Hwang raced in the 200m freestyle final in the morning and then in the 100m freestyle heats in the evening. Less than an hour later, he also participated in the 4x200m freestyle relay. Then came Wednesday morning, when Hwang didn't just compete i

July 28, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Teen swimming sensation Hwang Sun-woo breaks Asian record in 100m freestyle

TOKYO -- South Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo set a new Asian record in the 100m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, adding to a fast-growing list of accomplishments in his burgeoning career. Hwang finished third in his semifinals heat, and fourth overall among 16 swimmers, with a time of 47.56 seconds at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. He will compete in the final at 11:37 a.m. Thursday. The previous Asian record was 47.65 seconds, held by Ning Zetao of China since October 2014. Hwang is the

July 28, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Coming off surgery, volleyball attacker responds to coach's faith in win

TOKYO -- After the conclusion of the last professional volleyball season in South Korea, Kim Hee-jin underwent left knee surgery in May to remove bone chips. She was about to go on an extensive rehab that would get her ready for the next season. But then the national team came calling. Head coach Stefano Lavarini specifically wanted the opposite spiker on the squad for the Tokyo Olympics in July. Lavarini in particular praised Kim's thorough understanding of the team's strategy and her ability

July 28, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Rust, improving competition conspire to keep S. Korea off top of taekwondo podium

CHIBA -- Increasing parity in taekwondo is ultimately a good thing for the traditional Korean martial art. The more countries practice taekwondo and produce Olympic medalists, the better it is for the sport's long-term future, especially when it comes to its relevance among other Olympic events. Taekwondo, after all, has gone through numerous rule changes in recent years, trying to make it more watchable and entertaining. But in the short term, the spread of wealth doesn't help South Korea's Ol

July 28, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Beleaguered baseball team to open gold medal defense vs. Israel

TOKYO -- The defending champion South Korea will open its quest for a second straight baseball gold medal, 13 years apart, against Israel on Thursday. The national baseball team, beleaguered in light of players' misconduct scandal, will also try to win over fans who have turned their backs on the sport. South Korea's first preliminary game against Israel starts at 7 p.m. at Yokohama Baseball Stadium in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. Two players, second baseman Park Min-woo and pitcher Han Hyun-hee

July 28, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Lee Da-bin wins silver in women's taekwondo

CHIBA -- South Korea's Lee Da-bin grabbed the silver medal in her first Olympic taekwondo appearance on Tuesday, winning the women's +67kg title on the last day of the taekwondo competition. Lee lost to Milica Mandic of Serbia 10-7 in the gold medal match at Makuhari Messe Hall A in Chiba, east of Tokyo. Her loss ensured that South Korea, the birthplace of taekwondo, will leave the Tokyo Olympics without a gold medal from the martial art. The country won two bronze medals in taekwondo, Jang Ju

July 27, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Epee fencers shake off individual disappointments to claim team silver

CHIBA -- On the first day of the fencing competition at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday, three South Korean female epee fencers were all sent packing early. World No. 2 Choi In-jeong, in particular, suffered an ignominious defeat in the round of 32. Kang Young-mi, who'd teamed up with Choi to win silver at the 2018 world championships, was also gone after the round of 32. Song Sera did get to the round of 16 but got tripped up there. Both Choi and Kang said, as devastating as their losses were,

July 27, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] In Kyo-don wins bronze in men's taekwondo

CHIBA -- In Kyo-don won the bronze medal in men's taekwondo on Tuesday, for only the second medal in its traditional martial art for South Korea at the Tokyo Olympics. In defeated Ivan Konrad Trajkovic of Slovenia 5-4 in the bronze medal match of the men's +80kg event at Makuhari Messe Hall A in Chiba, east of Tokyo. This is the second taekwondo medal for South Korea so far at the Tokyo Olympics. Jang Jun won bronze in the men's 58kg last Saturday. In, 29, was diagnosed with malignant lymphom

July 27, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea wins silver in women's team epee fencing

CHIBA -- South Korea captured silver in the women's team epee fencing at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, the country's first epee team medal in nine years. Choi In-jeong, Kang Young-mi, Song Sera and Lee Hye-in lost to Estonia 36-32 at Makuhari Messe Hall B in Chiba, east of Tokyo. This is South Korea's second silver medal in this event. The country also picked up silver at the 2012 Olympics, and Choi was also on that team. South Korea managed just one bronze medal from the individual portion

July 27, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Teen swimmer Hwang Sun-woo breaks natl. record in 100m freestyle

TOKYO -- South Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo broke a national record for the second time at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday. Hwang qualified for the 100m freestyle semifinals by posting a time of 47.97 seconds in the heats at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Hwang held the previous mark of 48.04 seconds, set during the Olympic trials in May this year. Hwang, 18, finished second in Heat 7 and sixth overall among 70 swimmers, easily qualifying for the semifinals open to the top 16. The semifinals are schedu

July 27, 2021