26 September 2008 - When Cupid’s arrow strikes… PARK and PARK’s confessions

When Cupid’s arrow strikes… PARK and PARK’s confessions Lausanne – 26 September 2008 PARK Kyung-Mo    Over the years they have shared more than mere first names. What started as an exchange of insight to master the art of hitting the bulls-eye, gradually developed into a chemistry that was beyond the realms of targets… And when the two of South Korea’s ace archers PARK Sung-Hyun and PARK Kyung-Mo announced plans to share their lives, it did not come as a big surprise to those who have closely tracked the champion athletes.   “To tell you the truth, people around us announced our marriage even before we could make a formal announcement,” said PARK Kyung-Mo, who is in Lausanne to compete in the Archery World Cup Final to be held on Saturday.   But the meek Korean was not complaining. “That’s just the love of people. We athletes are indebted to our fans for their love and affection,” said Kyung-Mo.   After a formal courtship that only started in the autumn of 2007, the two stalwarts of world archery decided to tie knots after the conclusion of the Summer Games in Beijing.   “We are getting married on 6 December in Seoul,” said Kyung-Mo.   The similarity between the two is uncanny, even in terms of performance. While PARK Sung-Hyun lead Korea to a sixth straight gold in women's team final and the individual silver in Beijing, PARK Kyung-Mo achieved the same with the men's team. The former world champion guided Korea to a third straight team title alongside clinching the individual silver medal.   On being asked about how this tale of love found its way in the surroundings where heart and mind are required to be set only on the bull’s eye, they say:   “Well, that just proves that even at the highest level it is possible. We kept the two things separate from each other. While training it was only about fine tuning the skills and while dating we consciously tried to avoid talking about archery, and so far we have managed to do that quite successfully,” said Kyung-Mo.      PARK Sung-Hyun And Sung-Hyun, who so far was just listening to the conversation, nodded affirmatively. “It’s important to draw the line between professional and personal life,” she added.   “When I joined the national team in 2001, Kyung-Mo had also made a return to the national team after a hiatus of five years,” she recalled.   “We got along very well from the outset and we used to travel a lot together to different world championships. We used to discuss a lot about our games and techniques and gradually we got to know each other,” she added.   So when did this turned into love? Now it was time for Kyung-Mo to make a confession. “I have liked her for a long time now but I could only propose last year,” said the Korean, who has been one of the most consistent top draw archers. He won the individual world championships in 1993 at only 18 years old and also was the winner of the World Cup Final title in 2006.   And it is this reliability that Sung-Hyun fell for. “He is very dependable, besides being kind and caring. In many ways he just complements me,” she said. And the admiration is mutual.   “She is not just a beautiful face, but she has also got a beautiful heart. She is very kind and respects everyone and that is a virtue we value a lot in Korea,” said Kyung-Mo.   The duo will be the first gold medallists in the country's history to marry each other. And when asked about what can be expected from their offspring, Kyung-Mo quipped with a wink: “Back home people are already saying that our children will be ‘Gods of archery’.   We cannot agree more…   Aditya Kumar FITA Communication