Korean archer Song tops best-ever boys qualifying field at Youth Olympic Games

Song Injun of Korea scored 691 out of a possible 720 points to lead the 72-arrow 60-metre ranking round at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina by two and collect the top seed in the boys’ competition.

“I was not expecting this result. I did not shoot the best but I feel very happy now,” said Song.

“I am not used to shooting 60 metres. When I was at school I got some good results but I needed to practise again. I’m going to take this positive result forward into my training.”

Competition at the Youth Olympic Games takes places over 60 metres rather than the full 70 used in international senior competition.

Some athletes, like Song in Korea and Asian Games team champion Tang Chih-Chun, would normally shoot the longer distance and stepping shorter is an adjustment.

Also unfamiliar to Song was the Tang’s pedigree. He wasn’t aware that his biggest competitor over the ranking round has been a full-time member of Chinese Taipei’s senior squad since the start of 2018.

Tang actually led the round with six arrows left to shoot but dropped in a seven to finish with 689 points. “Too fast on release,” he explained, big grin still on his face. China’s Feng Hao completed the top three boys’ seeds with 688 points.

Carlos Vaca (Mexico), Akash (India), Artem Ovchynnikov (Ukraine), Stanislav Cheremiskin (Russia) and Senna Roos (Belgium) all scored 677 points or above to complete the top eight. There are no byes in Youth Olympic competition with all 32 athletes advancing to the matchplay stage.

Although Song’s field-leading ranking round was 13 points adrift of Lee Woo Seok’s world-record 704, it was the highest combined performance of the boys’ groups to compete at the Youth Olympic Games.

The average score was 658.3 out of 720 points, more than 651.2 at Nanjing 2014 and 593.5 at Singapore 2010. (Although the latter was shot over 70 meters and by slightly older athletes.)

The third edition of the Youth Olympic Games takes place on 12-17 October 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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