(Oly)South Korea has much to learn from Britain and Japan: Yonhap

By Park Sae-jin Posted : August 22, 2016, 09:05 Updated : August 22, 2016, 09:05

[Yonhap News Photo]


South Korea has much to learn from surprising performances by Britain and Japan at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the head of the country's athletic delegation said.

Chung Mong-gyu, South Korea's chef de mission, offered a performance review at a press conference on Sunday, the last day of the 2016 Rio Games.

With no medal expected on Sunday, South Korea will likely finish the Rio Games with nine golds, three silvers and nine bronzes.

The country was sitting at eighth place hours before the conclusion of the Olympics. The stated goal was to capture at least 10 gold medals and rank inside the top 10 in the medal standings.

Four of the nine gold medals came from archery, followed by two from taekwondo, and one each from fencing, shooting and golf.

"Though we weren't able to reach 10 gold medals, passion and dedication by our athletes made it possible for us to capture nine titles and reach top 10," Chung said.'

He went down the list of accomplishments for South Korea. The country swept all four archery gold medals for the first time in Olympic history. Shooter Jin Jong-oh won his third straight gold in the 50m pistol, becoming the first Olympic shooter to win a single event three straight times.

Every one of the country's five taekwondo fighters won a medal -- two golds and three bronzes -- and Park Sang-young, the men's individual epee fencing champion, was the only non-European gold medalist in the sport.

Outside the competing arena, former Olympic table tennis champion Ryu Seung-min became the newest South Korean member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as he was elected to the IOC's Athletes' Commission.

Chung, on the other hand, pointed to missed opportunities in sports such as judo, badminton and wrestling, where one high-ranked athlete after another fell by the wayside.

Along the way, Chung said South Korea should take lessons from the better-than-expected performances by Britain and Japan.

After winning 29 gold medals on home soil at the 2012 London Games, Britain has enjoyed its most successful Olympics outside the country with 27 gold medals so far.

This is the same nation that finished the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with just one gold, behind the likes of North Korea and Algeria. The country's gold count has steadily risen since then, going from nine in 2004 to 19 to 2008 and then to 29 four years ago.

Japan has captured 12 golds and 41 medals overall, and has surpassed South Korea's gold medal count for the first time since 2004. The most shocking medal came from the tracks, where the men's 4x100m relay team beat out the vaunted United States runners for the silver.

Chung said the two countries' success in Rio should show the way for South Korea.

"I think there is a lot to be said about the excellent Olympics by Britain and Japan," Chung said. "We have to make long-term investments, adopt scientific training methods, devise new strategies and continue to learn from other countries' examples."

Unless there is an upset in men's marathon on Sunday, South Korea will close its Rio campaign with 21 medals total, the fewest since winning 19 at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

(Yonhap)
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