[Tokyo Olympics] Tokyo Olympics kick off under the shadow of COVID-19

The trouble-laden Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to kick off Friday with a scaled-down opening ceremony amid deepening concerns about a surge of COVID-19 infections among athletes and other participants. After an unprecedented year-long delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 11,000 athletes from 206 countries are scheduled to compete in 33 sports at the Tokyo Olympics, which will be held at 42 competition venues through Aug. 8. But the mood remains jittery as the host city is in a state

July 22, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Slumping pitcher declares self healthy for Tokyo

After missing almost a full year with shoulder problems, LG Twins' left-hander Cha Woo-chan returned with a bang, with a 2-0 record and a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings over his first three starts. That impressive comeback, plus Cha's championship experience, helped him get picked as one of only two left-handers for the South Korean Olympic baseball team. But the 34-year-old struggled mightily over the next two outings, as he was shelled for 12 runs -- one unearned -- on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings comb

July 22, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Veteran fencer wants to dedicate medal to late father

CHIBA, Japan -- From time to time, South Korean fencer Jeon Hee-sook is reunited with her late father in her dreams. Whenever that happened, she always did well in following competitions. Jeon's father passed away in June 2008 and is buried not too far from his daughter's main practice facility, the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 90 kilometers south of Seoul. She paid him one last visit before leaving for Japan earlier this month and saw him in her dream that same night. "

July 22, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea aiming to make more Olympic archery history as competition opens with ranking rounds

TOKYO -- Five years ago at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, South Korea pulled off an unprecedented sweep of four archery gold medals. The national anthem, "Aegukga," was played at every medal ceremony, covering the men's and women's individual and team events. For this year's Tokyo Olympics, a fifth event, the mixed team, has been added. It can only mean one thing: a chance for South Korea, the most dominant archery power in the Olympics, to make even more history. Since the modern arch

July 22, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea poised for potential gold bonanza on 1st day of competition

TOKYO -- South Korea's objective at this year's Tokyo Olympics is to win six to seven gold medals. And more than half of that total could come on the first full day of the competition following Friday's opening ceremony. Barring major upsets, South Korean athletes should contend for medals in archery, shooting, fencing and taekwondo Saturday. The most optimistic prognosticator predicts five gold medals. Jin Jong-oh, one of the most accomplished pistol shooters in Olympic history, could be the

July 22, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korean baseball team schedules 2 more tuneup games

The defending baseball gold medalist South Korea scheduled two additional tuneup games Wednesday in its preparation for the Tokyo Olympics. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced that South Korea will play the minor league military club Sangmu at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and then the KBO club LG Twins at 5 p.m. on Saturday. The team previously had only one scheduled game in the leadup to Tokyo, the 2 p.m. Sunday tilt against another KBO club, Kiwoom Heroes. All three games will be played

July 21, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korean sabre fencers ready to defend throne in Tokyo: coach

TOKYO -- South Korea is going into the Tokyo Olympics ranked world No. 1 in the men's sabre fencing. The ace of the squad, Oh Sang-uk, is at the top of the individual rankings, too. The country has earned the favorite status in both the team and individual events here. And to hear coach Kim Hyoung-ryul tell it on Wednesday, all the prescouting work is complete. "We came here all prepared," Kim said. "For the final few days before the competition, it will come down to repeating w

July 21, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Officials quitting in disgrace, sponsors reduce presence in scandal-marred buildup

TOKYO -- Tokyo remains under a state of emergency due to a rising number of novel coronavirus cases. At this rate, the Olympic Games the Japanese capital is hosting this summer may be under a similar state before the competition even starts. The list of Olympic officials quitting in disgrace grew Monday, when Keigo Oyamada, the composer for the opening ceremony, resigned over the bullying of disabled children in the past. The departure came only four days before the opening festivities. Oyamad

July 21, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] From gymnast to baseball star to fencer, 2nd-generation athletes look to do families proud

South Korean artistic gymnast Yeo Seo-jeong will try to match in Tokyo this summer what her father did 25 years ago in Atlanta: win an Olympic medal. The 19-year-old Yeo won an Asian Games gold medal in the women's vault in 2018, adding it to the two Asian Games gold medals that her father, Yeo Hong-chul, won in 1994 and 1998. Her mother, Kim Yoon-ji, was also a gymnast, and she won bronze in the women's team event at the 1994 Asian Games. In that gymnast family, the senior Yeo is the only one

July 20, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea to kick off 2nd Olympic football medal bid vs. New Zealand

TOKYO -- South Korea's quest for a second Olympic medal in men's football will kick off Thursday against New Zealand. The Group B match between the two will begin at 5 p.m. at Kashima Stadium in Kashima, about 110 kilometers northeast of Tokyo. Though the opening ceremony isn't until Friday, preliminary action in football will begin early for scheduling purposes. This will also be the first event for South Korea at this year's Summer Olympics. South Korea's best Olympic showing to date is th

July 20, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korean Olympic chief assures of IOC's written pledge in banner row with Japan

NARITA -- South Korean Olympic chief Lee Kee-heung insisted on Monday the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has promised in writing that it would ban the display of a Japanese imperialist flag during the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, a pledge made when South Korea was asked to remove banners the IOC believed to be political. Upon arriving in Japan on Monday, Lee, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and also an IOC member, said the IOC is hoping both South Korea and the host cou

July 19, 2021

Main S. Korean Olympic delegation arrives in Tokyo

NARITA -- The main South Korean delegation to the Tokyo Olympics arrived in Japan on Monday, four days ahead of the opening ceremony for the competition delayed one year by the coronavirus pandemic. Jang In-hwa, head of the delegation, led a team of 69 athletes and officials from sports such as archery, gymnastics, table tennis and fencing. South Korean athletes in sailing, football and shooting, among others, traveled to Japan earlier in the month. Swimmers and badminton players arrived on Mo

July 19, 2021

S. Korea bracing for tough pitching vs. Israel in 1st game at Tokyo Olympics

The importance of the first game in South Korea's Olympic baseball title defense isn't lost on manager Kim Kyung-moon. South Korea's first game in Group B is against Israel on July 29. On paper, the third-ranked South Korea should have little trouble against the 24th-ranked Israel. But Kim thinks South Korea will be in trouble if his players take their opponent lightly. In particular, Kim said his hitters should be on guard against Israeli pitching. That's the preliminary report he received fr

July 19, 2021

Olympic football coach confident in team's health protocols

The South Korean men's Olympic football team almost had a brush with the novel coronavirus over the weekend, even before the start of their competition in Japan. Ryu Seung-min, a South Korean member of the International Olympic Committee, was diagnosed with COVID-19 after arriving in Japan on Saturday. The football team had been scheduled to be on the same flight with Ryu but took a different, earlier flight instead following a last-minute change. Given the recent surge in new cases in and aro

July 18, 2021

Ex-MLB reliever Oh Seung-hwan named S. Korea's closer for Olympics

As roster decisions go, this was probably the easiest one to make for the South Korean Olympic baseball manager Kim Kyung-moon. During a press conference on Sunday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Kim named Oh Seung-hwan, he of more than 400 professional saves in three different leagues, as his closer for the Tokyo Olympics. The 39-year-old right-hander for the Samsung Lions is the career saves leader in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history with 322. He is leading the league this year with 2

July 18, 2021

Olympic champion catcher hoping for controversy-free gold medal in Tokyo

During South Korea's inexorable march to the baseball gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the defining moment for catcher Kang Min-ho came not in an at-bat or a defensive play but in an ejection. With South Korea nursing a 3-2 lead over Cuba in the bottom of the ninth inning in the gold medal showdown, Kang was tossed after arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Carlos Rey. The angry catcher slammed his mask into the ground and threw his mitt toward the dugout on his way out. Cu

July 18, 2021

Olympic-bound male golfers take aim at medal

On paper, they may not jump off the page as medal contenders at the Tokyo Olympics. But Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo, representing South Korea in the Olympic men's golf tournament, understand the competition won't be played on paper. The two players qualified for the 60-man Olympic field as the top-two South Koreans on the world rankings as of June 21. Im, the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for 2018-2019, was No. 26. Kim, a three-time tour winner, sat at No. 49. They have since slipped a notch and

July 15, 2021

Olympic baseball team adds teen pitcher to replace beleaguered infielder

Defending Olympic baseball champion South Korea added a left-handed pitcher to its roster Thursday, a day after an infielder took himself off the squad after breaching coronavirus safety protocols. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced that Lotte Giants' 19-year-old lefty Kim Jin-uk will be the 11th pitcher on the Olympic team. Kim, the first overall pick at last year's draft, has gone 2-5 with an 8.07 ERA in 29 innings so far in his rookie campaign. He has struck out 26 but walked 2

July 15, 2021

S. Korea seeking bigger confidence boost in final Olympic football prep match vs. France

With South Korea set to take on France in their final Olympic men's football tuneup Friday, head coach Kim Hak-bum sees the match as another opportunity for his players to build confidence. As far as the coach is concerned, it doesn't necessarily have to be a victory. It can be a collection of small moments within the match, such as connecting on long-distance passes, foiling the opposition's counterattack opportunities or creating dangerous chances from set pieces. The kickoff between the two

July 15, 2021

Olympic baseball team's preparation dealt blow with KBO season's suspension

Through no fault of their own, the LG Twins have only played four games so far in July in the South Korean baseball league. And after the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) decided to suspend play Monday in light of multiple coronavirus cases from two clubs, it will stay that way for the rest of the month. KBO games scheduled from Tuesday to Sunday will be moved to later in the season, as the NC Dinos and the Doosan Bears have reported five combined cases of COVID-19. The league will then go on

July 13, 2021