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Park Sung-Hyun was the women’s individual Olympic Champion in Athens in 2004, and Park Kyung-Mo finished second, in the men’s event, four years later.
Both made World Archery’s list of the greatest Olympic archers of all-time.
They got married in 2008 shortly after the Beijing Games and have three children. They now both coach professional archery teams – different teams – but were out in Rio to commentate for SBS, the Korean archery broadcaster.
We caught up with the Parks in Rio, shortly before competition started.
How long have you been commentating?
Park Kyung-Mo: We’ve been working for SBS for eight months. Another experienced SBS broadcaster came with us.
Park Sung-Hyun: Even after I quit the Olympícs as an archer, I was always on the field, but this is my first time being an Olympic commentator.
Why did you start commentating?
Sung-Hyun: “Because I was feeling restless. Because I want to release that kind of restlessness. Although I’m coaching and teaching archery now, I think it is good to try the other things as well.”
Tell us a little about what the Olympics means to Korean athletes.
Sung-Hyun: “It’s an incredible feeling for all the athletes, but the Olympics is a worldwide festival for all people – athletes and citizens – to enjoy. However, going after the gold medal is the only real goal for many top Korean athletes, so they might not enjoy it that much, and might be feeling nervous instead.”
what would the Korean archers here receive if they take home a gold?
Kyung-Mo: “If a Korean athlete gets a gold medal, there is a reward called a ‘sports pension’ from the government. Plus there is prize money as a reward from the national archery association. Also, male athletes don’t have to serve the military if they get an Olympic medal.”
Does the Olympics tempt you to make a comeback?
Kyung-Mo: “No, I’m only coaching. Although if there is a chance, I probably would try it.”
What kind of score would you shoot right now if you picked up a bow out there?
Kyung-Mo:“If we really did that, instead of going for a score, we’d prefer to try and get the old feeling back and use our technical knowledge as an athlete.”
Sung Hyun: “I’d definitely try to set a new world record and want to get the gold medal.” [laughs]
Kyung-Mo: “I know there’s a lot of time passed by, but right now I’m looking at this competition and I really want to do archery again. Although I’m sure I wouldn’t be as good as I used to be, I don’t think my ability is going to be that far behind when I was an athlete.”
Have you ever given advice to any of the Korean archery team?
Sung Hyun: “First of all, I gave them my experiences, especially my failure experience. I told them about my regrets that when I was an athlete it was very possible to get a gold medal, but I then I ended up with silver medal [in 2008].”
What else are you hoping to see in Rio?
Kyung-Mo: “I do want to watch all the competition. If we’re not talking about the archery, I really want to see the Cristo Redentor, and also want to go walk around at the beach. I’d want to see all the competition that has Korean athletes. But it is not easy, because we don’t have much time.”
Park Sung Hyun, do you think your world record of 1405 (set in 2004) will ever be broken?
(Park Sung-Hyun is famously the only recurve archer to ever break the 1400-barrier on the 1440 Round.)
Sung Hyun: “Yes, if I come back and do it.” [laughs] “Of course it could be broken by someone else who trains hard enough to break it. Anyway, that’s what world records are for. They exist only to be broken.”
The archery competition Rio 2016 Olympic Games ran 5-12 August in the Sambodromo.
