Japan, DPR Korea into final of first Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying event

Japan and DPR Korea will contest the recurve mixed team gold medal match at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, after the top two seeded teams lost in the quarterfinals of the competition.

“It’s an unexpected line-up. We expected to have a tough match with Korea in the semifinal,” said Takaharu Furukawa and Sugimoto Tomomi of Japan. “Mongolia and DPR Korea were very good today.”

“We already won the recurve mixed team title in Antalya together, beating Korea, and we will shoot our best to get a gold medal in this final. The Asian Games is an important milestone for us towards Tokyo 2020.”

Top-seeded pair Korea were eliminated by number-nine-ranked Mongolia, averaging just under 37/40 points set, in the quarterfinals – but fell to Japan in the semis.

DPR Korea’s Kang Un Ju and Pak Yongwon upset the number two seeds, Chinese Taipei, and then beat China to make the final.

That match has huge connotations. The winner of the recurve mixed team event at the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games secures one man’s and one woman’s quota place to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

With gold medal match opponent Japan receiving an automatic full quota to its home Olympics as long as the team competes at the World Archery Championships in 2019, DPR Korea has all but secured the two spots.

Winning the Asian Games recurve mixed team title title on Monday 27 August would remove any doubt.

Korea will shoot against Chinese Taipei in the compound mixed team gold medal match in Jakarta, after setting a new world record for qualification earlier in the competition week.

The archery competitions at the 2018 Asian Games take place on 21-28 August in Jakarta, Indonesia.