[Tokyo Olympics] Like father, like daughter: gymnast vaults to bronze 25 years after father's silver

TOKYO -- South Korean artistic gymnast Yeo Seo-jeong can proudly call herself an Olympic medalist, but the 19-year-old vaulter isn't even the first one in her family to claim that title. It was a quarter century ago that her father, Yeo Hong-chul, captured silver medal in the men's vault at the Atlanta Olympics. Thanks to Seo-jeong's bronze medal in the women's vault at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, the Yeos are now the first father-daughter duo from South Korea to have won Olympic medals. T

Aug. 1, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Koreans finish well off podium in men's golf

SAITAMA -- South Korean players Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo both ended well out of medal contention in the Tokyo Olympic men's golf tournament on Sunday. Im shot a bogey-free round of three-under 68 on Sunday at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, north of Tokyo, and finished at 10-under for the four-round competition. He finished tied for 22nd with four others. Xander Schauffele of the United States won the gold medal at 18-under 266. Rory Sabbatini of Slovakia posted a blistering round of 1

Aug. 1, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korean golfers inspired by volleyball team's comeback win over Japan

SAITAMA, Japan -- If a quartet of South Korean LPGA stars needed any source of inspiration for the upcoming Olympic women's golf tournament in Japan, they found it from other athletes from the country on Saturday night. Hours after arriving in Tokyo, Park In-bee, Ko Jin-young, Kim Sei-young and Kim Hyo-joo all watched the South Korean women's volleyball team defeat Japan in a five-set thriller. Led by captain Kim Yeon-koung's 30 points, South Korea stormed back from a 14-12 deficit in the fift

Aug. 1, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korean archery champions to donate 'Robin Hood' arrows, uniforms to Olympic Museum

TOKYO -- South Korean Olympic archery champions An San and Kim Je-deok will donate their "Robin Hood" arrows and autographed uniforms to the Olympic Museum in Switzerland, the sport's national federation said Sunday. The Korea Archery Association (KAA) said An, a triple gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, and Kim, who won two gold medals, will have arrows from their run to the inaugural mixed team event title exhibited at the museum, run by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) i

Aug. 1, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Moon congratulates women's sabre fencers on Olympic medal

President Moon Jae-in sent a congratulatory message to the women's sabre fencing team Sunday for winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The team of four -- Kim Ji-yeon, Yoon Ji-su Choi Soo-yeon and Seo Ji-yeon -- defeated Italy in the bronze medal match Saturday, winning the country's first medal in the women's sabre team event, which made its Olympic debut in 2008. "(The team) gave great joy and courage to the people," he said in the message also shared on social media. "

Aug. 1, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Vollyeball star Kim Yeon-koung makes Olympic history in epic victory vs. Japan

TOKYO -- In leading South Korea to a thrilling five-set victory over Japan in the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament Saturday night, captain Kim Yeon-koung also made history. With 30 points, Kim became the first player to record 30 or more points in an Olympic match four times, according to FIVB, the sport's international governing body. Russia's Ekaterina Gamova is the only other player with multiple 30-point matches with three. Kim was the MVP of the tournament at the 2012 London O

Aug. 1, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Primer on baseball tournament: how double elimination works

TOKYO -- By losing to the United States on Saturday night to finish in second place in its group in the Tokyo Olympic baseball tournament, South Korea set itself up for a potentially thorny path to the final. But how? Well, it's complicated. Six teams in the baseball competition here were divided into two groups. In Group A, Japan, the Dominican Republic and Mexico finished 1-2-3. The rankings in Group B went the United States, South Korea and Israel. In the knockout stage, the first three ga

Aug. 1, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Badminton doubles teams to duel for bronze, gymnast looking to vault for gold

TOKYO -- South Korea will enter Monday's action at the Tokyo Olympics with a bronze medal already locked up in the women's doubles event in badminton. It's only a matter of who will take the medal. Two South Korean doubles teams will face each other in the bronze medal match at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza in Tokyo: Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan vs. Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong. They both lost their semifinals matches Saturday to set up the all-Korean duel for third place. It will be the on

Aug. 1, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea wins bronze in women’s sabre team fencing

South Korea claimed bronze in the women’s sabre team fencing event on Saturday for its fourth medal from the sport at the Tokyo Olympics. The team of Kim Ji-yeon, Yoon Ji-su Choi Soo-yeon and Seo Ji-yeon defeated Italy 45-42 in the bronze medal match at Makuhari Messe Hall B in Chiba, east of Tokyo. South Korea rallied from a 25-15 deficit for the dramatic win. This is South Korea’s first medal in the women’s sabre team event, which made its Olympic debut in 2008. This concl

July 31, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korean archer after upset loss: 'That’s life'

A two-time Olympic archery gold medalist Kim Woo-jin suffered a shocking loss to a 20-year-old archer from Chinese Taipei in the men’s individual event at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. Check that: Kim doesn’t think it was so shocking at all. “I don’t appreciate the use of the word ‘shocking,’” Kim said in mock anger, after losing to Tang Chih-Chun in the quarterfinals at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo. “Nothing is guaranteed in sports

July 31, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] After stunning world No. 1, S. Korean shuttler loses to 59th-ranked foe

South Korean badminton player Heo Kwang-hee got a taste of his own medicine at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday, losing to an underdog in the quarterfinals three days after shocking the top-ranked opponent. Kevin Cordon of Guatemala, world No. 59, defeated the 38th-ranked Heo 2-0 (21-13, 21-18) in the quarterfinals of the men’s badminton singles event at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza in Tokyo. Heo had reached the quarterfinals after stunning the world No. 1 from Japan, Kento Momota, in a pr

July 31, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Kim Si-woo in middle of pack in men's golf

South Korea's Kim Si-woo found himself further out of contention in the Tokyo Olympic men's golf tournament on Friday, with the weather-interrupted second round suspended. Kim traded two birdies with two bogeys for an even 71 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, north of Tokyo. At three-under for the tournament, Kim is tied for 25th in the field of 60. He was tied for 12th after the opening round. "I don't think I've shown even half of what I am capable of," Kim said. "I d

July 30, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea football coach ready for fresh start in knockouts

South Korea have already played three matches in the group stage of the Tokyo Olympic men's football tournament. But the team's head coach Kim Hak-bum said Friday the competition won't begin until they play their first knockout match against Mexico on the weekend. South Korea and Mexico will go toe to toe in the quarterfinals at International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, at 8 p.m. Saturday. "For us, it's not a quarterfinals match. It's our first match," Kim said

July 30, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea wins bronze in men's team epee fencing

South Korea overcame an early deficit to beat China for the bronze medal in the men's epee fencing team event of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday. The team of Park Sang-young, Kweon Young-jun and Song Jae-ho beat China 45-42 in the bronze medal match at Makuhari Messe Hall B in Chiba, north of Tokyo. Park, the 2016 individual champ, now has two Olympic medals. This is South Korea's first medal in the men's epee team event. South Korea and Japan, set to compete in the final later Friday, are the

July 30, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Moon congratulates judoka, fencers, archer on Olympic medals

South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent congratulatory messages Friday to the nation's judoka, archer and sabre fencing team for winning medals at the Tokyo Olympics. In a message for Cho Guham, Moon thanked him for bringing great joy to the people by winning a silver medal in the men's 100kg judo contest. Moon mentioned his final match with Aaron Wolf of Japan the previous day. "It was a game where your speed, endurance and manners shined," the president noted in the message als

July 30, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] What pressure? Archer An San makes history with gold medal hat trick in Olympic debut

  The archery broadcast for the Tokyo Olympics this year has added a new feature, with a small bug at the bottom left corner showing archers' heart rates. South Korean archer An San, who won her third gold medal here with the women's individual title on Friday, mostly sat around the 80s, which is in the perfectly normal range and is shockingly low for an athlete in the heat of an Olympic competition. Her opponents on this day, on the other hand, had their beats per minute reading around

July 30, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] An San wins gold in women's individual archery, becomes 1st triple gold medalist in Tokyo

TOKYO -- An San shot herself into the record books on Friday, winning the women's individual archery event in Tokyo to become the first archer ever to claim three gold medals at a single Olympics. An is also the first South Korean triple gold medalist at a Summer Olympics, and the first athlete with three gold medals in Tokyo. She defeated Elena Osipova of the Russian Olympic Committee by the set score of 6-5 in the final at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in the Japanese capital, completing th

July 30, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Olympic athletes create fresh online buzz in S. Korea

As the belated Tokyo Olympics were nearly halfway over Friday, South Korean sports stars' world-class performances and their teamwork have been creating a fresh buzz on social media here. On the front lines of the buzz are the men's sabre fencing team of Kim Jung-hwan, Gu Bon-gil, Oh Sang-uk and Kim Jun-ho, who won South Korea's second straight gold in the team event Wednesday. Sports fans call the four-member team "Avengers" for their gold medal for two straight Olympics and overwhe

July 30, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok qualifies for final, first S. Korean athlete in 25 years

TOKYO -- Male high jumper Woo Sang-hyeok qualified for the Tokyo Olympic final on Friday, becoming the first South Korean track and field athlete in a quarter century to get that far in the multisport competition. Woo cleared 2.28 meters on his second attempt to make it out of the qualifying stage at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. He will compete in the final on Sunday. In the men's high jump, the top 12 jumpers out of 33, or those who clear 2.30 meters, advance to the final. The last South Korean

July 30, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Naturalized Japanese archer 'proud' of S. Koreans' Olympic success

TOKYO -- When the Japanese archer Ren Hayakawa watches her South Korean opponents break records and win medals at the Olympics, she does so with a unique sense of pride. Of course, Japan and South Korea remain sporting rivals across the board. But Hayakawa, who was born in South Korea and became naturalized as Japanese citizen in 2007, still feels a tug when it comes to athletes from her birth country. Hayakawa lost to An San of South Korea by the set score of 6-4 in the round of 16 in the wom

July 30, 2021