Reigning World Archery Champion Kim Yunhee, Korea’s first podium-topper in the compound division, has retained her space on the nation’s Hyundai Archery World Cup team in the lead-up to the worlds in Mexico City in 2017, where she will defend her title.
Ranked fourth over selections, the three athletes taken to Mexico will be selected on international results prior to the event.
World medallists Choi Bomin, Kim Jongho and Choi Yonghee were also named to the squad, while Hong Sung Ho and So Chaewon – who has found success on the Indoor Archery World Cup circuit with her professional team – will make their international debuts in 2017.
The dominant nation in the recurve division, Korea began to develop a compound programme prior to the Asian Games in 2014, where the bowstyle was added to the existing, recurve-focused competition. It didn’t take long for Korean compound archers to begin making a mark – and that culminated in two world titles at Copenhagen 2015.
During 2016, the Olympic year, Korea’s compounders took a step into the background – but, with the worlds and another edition of the Asian Games on the horizon, the Korean federation has announced a full squad for the 2017 international season, which also includes the Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit and Asian Championships in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Selections followed a similar procedure as for the recently-announced recurve team, with two qualifying tournaments in April.
Compound men
The four compound men on the Korean team for 2017 in trials final ranking order.
1) Kim Jongho: Coached by Kim Hyung Tak, and only 22 years old, Kim won mixed team gold at Copenhagen 2015 with Kim Yuunhee, and previously podiumed at two world student championships. The 20th-ranked compound man in the world, Kim was also triple-gold-medallist at the 2015 Universiade and won the Hyundai Archery World Cup stage in Antalya that same year.
Average arrow: 9.77; match wins: 33/70%; ranking round best: 709
2) Choi Yonghee: Choi, the eldest on the team, made history in 2014 by becoming Korea’s first compound man to win a stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup (in Antalya). As part of the Hyundai Steel team, he competed at the 2015 and 2016 stages of the Indoor Archery World Cup in Bangkok, finishing ninth both times.
Average arrow: 9.67; match wins: 28/67%; ranking round best: 707
3) Hong Sung Ho: Another member of the Hyundai Steel team, Hong has two years’ experience on the Indoor Archery World Cup circuit – but 2017 marks his first season with the national team.
Average arrow: -; match wins: 1/33%; ranking round best: -
4) Kim Taeyoon: Kim first appeared on the world stage at the FISU World Archery University Championships in Legnica, Poland. He won gold medals in the team and mixed team events. Later that year, he collected another team gold and an individual silver, behind Kim Jongho, at the Summer Universidad in Gwangju. In Shanghai in 2016 he finished ninth.
Average arrow: 9.65; match wins: 12/60%; ranking round best: 709
Compound women
The four compound women on the Korean team for 2017 in trials final ranking order.
1) Song Yun Soo: A three-year veteran of the national team, Song attended one Hyundai Archery World Cup stage in each of 2015 and 2016. She won silver in Antalya in 2015 in the team event and, later on that year, won individual and mixed team titles at the Gwangju Summer Universiade.
Average arrow: 9.62; match wins: 12/67%; ranking round best: 699
2) Choi Bomin: At 32 years of age and boasting more than 15 years of international experience, Choi is the veteran – and most decorated woman – on this year’s squad. She’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games Champion, a double world team medallist (champion with recurve, bronze with compound), a multiple Hyundai Archery World Cup medallist – and has a Hyundai World Archery Cup Final silver medal, which she won in 2007 with her recurve bow.
Average arrow: 9.46; match wins: 36/75%; ranking round best: 694
3) So Chaewon: Making her national debut in 2017, So was bronze medallist at the Indoor Archery World Cup Final in 2016, representing professional team Hyundai Mobis – and has multiple seasons’ experience on the international indoor circuit.
Average arrow: -; match wins: 12/71%; ranking round best: -
4) Kim Yunhee: Winner of Korea’s two first-ever compound world titles, Kim picked up individual and mixed team gold at the World Archery Championships in Copenhagen in 2015 – and picked up bronze with the team. Prior to that, she had only appeared at three Hyundai Archery world Cup stage.
Average arrow: 9.57; match wins: 14/70%; ranking round best: 692
