Olympic Champion Chang says Korea will win five golds in Tokyo
Archery has long been Korea’s domain.
According to reigning Olympic Champion Chang Ye Jin, that trend will continue at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
“I think that we will be able to win all five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, following our dominance in all sports at the Rio Olympics,” said Chang, who won individual gold in 2016 and guided the Korean recurve women to their eighth consecutive team title since the competition was added at Seoul 1988.
Her sentiments echo that of the Korean Olympic Committee, which has reportedly set a clean-sweep target for the squad in Japan.
It would be an improvement of the historic sweep of the four golds in Rio, where Korea won the men’s and women’s individual, and men’s and women’s team events for the first time in the sport’s history.
The introduction of the mixed team in Tokyo presents an opportunity for Korea to extend its run of excellence to even greater heights.
Korea has won a total of 39 Olympic archery medals – including 29 gold – since the sport’s return to the programme at Munich 1972. There are five more available in Japan.
Chang won’t be part of the team that attempts to sweep them.
Having failed to make the Korean squad after trials for this year’s national team, she’s watching these Games from afar – but it still very much invested in her country’s success.
Following in the footsteps of fellow former Olympic Champions Park Sung-Hyun and Ki Bo Bae, Chang will step inside the analyst booth for one of the Korean national broadcasters and provide an opinion on her former teammates.
“I didn’t apply for the commentary role but a request came from MBC,” she said. “I think it’s an honour to remain involved as a commentator and follow Tokyo together.”
For neither Chang nor fellow Rio 2016 Olympic Champion Ku Bonchan is Tokyo an end to their careers.
Both intend on vying for spots on Korea’s ferociously competitive national team with the next Olympics in Paris just three years away. And, if the seemingly-ageless Oh Jin Hyek has proved nothing this year, it is that such a return is possible.
“Even though I couldn't participate in the Tokyo Olympics, I’m still working hard to prepare while competing in Korea again,” said Ku, who is also teammates with London 2012 Olympic Champion Jin Hyek at Hyundai Steel. “I’ve been training hard and becoming more mature so that I can wear the national flag again and go to international competitions and give my best.”
The archery competitions at Tokyo 2020 start on 23 July and, by the end of the month, we’ll find out if Chang’s assertion that all five golds are headed to Korea is a realistic one.
