Three Olympic records set on archery’s opening day at Tokyo 2020
Three Olympic records were set and Korea seeded first in all five events on the opening day of the archery competitions at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Qualification took place on the day of the opening ceremony in Japan.
In the morning session, An San broke the women’s Olympic record, which had stood for 25 years since Atlanta 1996, by seven points and led the Korean women to a new team record, too. She partnered with Kim Je Deok, the 17-year-old who seeded top in the men’s event in the afternoon, to set the first-ever Olympic record for mixed team qualification.
Top seeds: Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
- Recurve women: An San, Korea; Jang Minhee, Korea and Kang Chae Young, Korea.
- Recurve men: Kim Je Deok, Korea; Brady Ellison, USA and Oh Jin Hyek, Korea.
- Recurve women’s team: Korea, Mexico and USA.
- Recurve men’s team: Korea, Netherlands and China.
- Recurve mixed team: Korea, USA and Japan.
Qualification seeds athletes and teams for the matchplay phase of the tournament.
For the first time since the quota system was introduced in 1996, there was a cut to eliminate athletes in the mixed team event after the qualifying round. Only 16 of the 29 eligible nations progressed to the brackets.
Competition now moves to the arena in Yumenoshima Park, with three medals awarded over the next three days.
The first medal will come in the new mixed team event, which sees one man and one woman from the same nation compete together and is making its debut as an event at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, on Saturday 24 July.
World Archery president Prof Dr Ugur Erdener issued the following statement ahead of competition.
“We have walked a long road to arrive at these Olympic Games. But now that we are in Tokyo and the Olympic rings are firmly fixed above the targets in our archery arena in Yumenoshima Park, it’s very clear that the wait has been worth it.”
“It has already been a pleasure to witness the enjoyment of our athletes, who have worked so hard for this opportunity, on the training and qualification ranges. That can only be a hint of the emotion we will see and feel when they enter the arena to contest archery’s five Olympic medals in Tokyo.”
“It is in these moments, after such challenging times, that we will remember the power of sport to uplift and inspire.”
“And nowhere will that be more apparent than when we award our first medal of these Games in the mixed team competition on Saturday. The newest addition to our event programme sees both genders compete together and equally.”
“Knowing the quality of the pairs we have at these Olympics, it could be the most exciting, and diverse, podium of the competition.”
“The results are, of course, only one part of the conversation. The individuals and stories behind the performances, like our first-time qualifiers from Bangladesh and Bhutan, are once again in the spotlight of the Games. And we are so glad to they gain the recognition that they deserve.”
“I wish everybody competing at Tokyo 2020 the best of luck.”
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