Kim Woojin becomes greatest archery Olympian of all time with five gold medals

Kim Woojin won the Olympic individual men’s title at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He beat the USA’s Brady Ellison in one of the most thrilling men’s finals ever seen at the Olympics.

The match was decided in a shoot-off measured in millimetres, one arrow each side of the line – both tens. 

“I think you can now call me the greatest of all time,” said Woojin. “I’ve been through countless numbers of matches, and this was the most nerve-wracking competition of all.”

“Ellison is a world class player,” the 32-year-old said of his opponent in the final. “He’s a very tough opponent. I did not think it was going to be easy game.”

It is Woojin’s third gold medal of the Games, and his fifth overall, after team golds in both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

The fifth gold makes him the most successful Olympic archer of all-time, surpassing Kim Soo-Nyung, with four. 

He also becomes the most successful Korean Olympian of all time, being the first athlete from that country to take five gold medals.

At 35, Ellison wins his second medal of these Games – a fifth overall – after mixed team bronze two days ago. He also got individual bronze from 2016 and team silvers in 2012 and 2016.

The bronze medal went to Woojin’s compatriot Lee Woo Seok, who beat Florian Unruh of Germany 6-0.

This last day of finals brought the archery competitions at the Paris 2024 Olympics to a close.

Podium: Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Full results on the event page.

Recurve men

1. Kim Woojin, Korea
2. Brady Ellison, USA
3. Lee Woo Seok, Korea