Kim Woojin seeds top at the Olympics for the second time

Kim Woojin scored 686 points for the 72-arrow qualifying round to lead teammate Kim Je Deok by four and take the top recurve men’s seed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Woojin also qualified first at Rio 2016, while Je Deok held pole at Tokyo 2020.

“It’s quite windy but I feel we all adjusted well,” said Woojin at the end of qualification. “Our focus here is definitely the team before anything, so that’s what we’re going to continue to focus on.”

“Our main goal is the gold medal for the team.”

Woojin, Je Deok and Lee Woo Seok (681) were a combined 24 points up on second-seeded home team France – and Woojin combined with new world record holder Lim Sihyeon to set an Olympic record in mixed team qualification and complete a sweep of the poles for Korea.

“We’d also like to congratulate [Lim] on shooting her world record this morning,” continued Woojiin. “We’re always one team no matter what, so when the women’s team do well, we’re very happy.”

Woojin has won team gold with Korea at the last two Olympics.

His individual record is less stellar, having not made it past the quarterfinals.

While Kim Woojin might be calling the ‘team first’ line now, in the lead-up to these Olympics he made no secret of his wish to take individual glory.

A three-time World Archery Champion, it’s the only major title missing from his resume.

“That’s something in the past. It’s something I can forget and I can continue to work on these Olympics,” he said.

For much of the afternoon, Cuba’s Hugo Franco held second on the leaderboard. The shock contender, who dedicated securing a quota for these Games to his recently deceased parents, only fell away in the closing three ends, ultimately seeding 21st.

Germany’s Florian Unruh, India’s Dhiraj Bommadevara and third Korean archer Lee Woo Seok all scored 681 points to take the third to fifth seeds.

Defending Olympic Champion Mete Gazoz had 676 and qualified eighth.

“I don’t feel any pressure,” he said, despite arriving here as the Tokyo winner, the reigning World Archery Champion and the reigning European Champion. “I just feel excitement, because three years is a long time.”

“I miss this feeling.”

Competition continues with women’s team finals on 28 July at the 2024 Olympic Games, after a two-day break for the opening ceremony (26 July) and the venue, Invalides, playing host to cycling’s time trials (27 July).