Im Dong Hyun: Outcome of final with Kim 50/50

The recurve men’s gold medal match in Salt Lake City will pit two formidable 70-metre shooters from Korea against each other in the archery arena, when Im Dong Hyun and Kim Woojin go head-to-head for the fifth time in international competition.

“Woojin has gotten a lot of experience during the past few years, he’s in good form and he’s a strong opponent. But I also have experience and I’m doing well, feeling good. I think it will be 50/50,” said Im.

Dong Hyun, the longest-tenured member of the squad, set the world record for the 72-arrow 70-metre round at the Olympics in Athens in 2004, with 687 out of a possible 720 points, then periodically increased the mark until London 2012, where he shot 699.

After appearing in three consecutive Games, Im missed out on Rio – while two-time World Archery Champion Kim Woojin was in.

Woojin shot an incredible 700-point ranking round at the 2016 Olympics, removing Im’s name from the qualifying world record for the first time in over a decade.

That incredible accuracy was on show during the eliminations in Salt Lake, especially the last, perfect, set of his semifinal – when the arrows were landing at a visible angle in the target because of the wind.

“I was purposely aiming between the seven and the eight in the red and the wind, of course, carried the arrows into the middle and affected their angle,” explained Woojin. 

“Maybe for the finals, as we’re shooting behind the building, the wind might not be as strong.”

Since 2010, Kim and Im have met four times in international competition.

Dong Hyun won their first match at the Archery World Cup stage in the Odgen 2010 semifinals, while the last three have all gone Woojin’s way (including the 2011 Universiade final) – although the most recent on record dates back to 2012.

The pair will end the event second and third in the Hyundai Archery World Cup rankings, with the one who wins the final in the higher position, behind only Brady Ellison.

Ellison, who lost to Chinese Taipei’s Wei Chun-Heng in the quarterfinals, accrued enough points in Salt Lake to qualify for his eighth consecutive Hyundai Archery World Cup Final.

The third stage of the 2017 Hyundai Archery World Cup runs 20 to 25 June in Salt Lake City, USA.

People
Competitions