Korea’s Kim Woojin scored 700 out of a possible 720 points for the ranking round at the Rio 2016 Olympic archery competition. It is the first recurve score of 700 or more in history, and a world and Olympic record – the first of the Rio 2016 Games.
The previous world record was set at 699 points by Im Dong Hyun, also from Korea, at London 2012.
Kim Woojin had previously said he was keying in on the record in Rio – and had his eye on the 700-mark for the duration of the 72-arrow round at the Olympics. With 12 arrows left to shoot, he needed 118 out of a possible 120 points.
He shot 59/60 in the penultimate end – and needed the same with his last six arrows to break the record.
Kim shot four arrows in quick succession, all landed in the 10.
His fifth, shot with the same snappy rhythm, dropped left and a little low – and just out of the 10-ring, in the nine. Two metres to the right, Korean coach Park Chaesoon – who was standing behind Lee Seungyun as well as calling Kim Woojin’s arrows – called “out”.
Kim took a breath, steadied himself, and confidently drilled his last arrow of the Olympic ranking round into the 10.
He turned back, smiled, and said, firmly: “new world record”.
Kim Woojin’s 700/720 is the first 700-point score to have been shot by a recurve archer in competition, is ratified as a new world and Olympic record – and landed him a well-deserved top seed at the Rio 2016 archery competition.
“I practised more than everyone else and I gave my best for the entire round,” he said in the mixed zone. “Tomorrow there is a more important match. In terms of celebrating today – I want to focus on tomorrow’s match.”
Kim shoots with Ku Bonchan and Lee Seungyun in Korea’s top-ranked recurve men’s team on 6 August.
Brady Ellison finished second in the men’s ranking round, with 690, David Pasqualucci third on 685, Sjef van den Berg fourth on 684 and Atanu Das fifth with 683.
The USA and Olympic Champion Italy seeded second and third, respectively, over the men’s team ranking round.
