SAITAMA -- Competing at the Olympics can make even the best of the best nervous, and LPGA Hall of Famer and 2016 Olympic gold champion Park In-bee was no exception on Wednesday. Park opened her gold medal defense with a two-under 69 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, north of Tokyo, on Wednesday. She went bogey-free on the front nine, but had a bogey at the 18th as her lone blemish. Park is three shots behind the leader, Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden. Park, long known as a stoic athlete wi

TOKYO -- For a few moments after his South Korean team upset Turkey in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament Wednesday, head coach Stefano Lavarini still didn't know what had just happened. His celebration was more muted than his reaction to South Korea's five-set win over Japan last weekend in preliminary action. "I didn't realize we were going to the semifinals," the Italian-born coach explained afterward. "It wasn't because I wasn't happy."

TOKYO -- South Korea stunned Turkey in five sets in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament on Wednesday, with its captain and greatest player keeping alive hopes of winning her first medal. Kim Yeon-koung carried South Korea on her back with 28 points, as the 13th-ranked South Korea beat the fourth-ranked Turkey 3-2 (17-25, 25-17, 28-26, 18-25, 15-13) at Ariake Arena. In Friday's semifinals, South Korea will face the winner of the Brazil-Russian Olympic Committee

TOKYO -- Having become the second-only South Korean gymnast to win a gold at the Olympics, one may assume Shin Jea-hwan, men's vault gold champion at the Tokyo Games, has had all the luck he could get throughout his athletic journey. Shin, 23, however, is said to have survived a traumatizing back injury during high school, which almost brought his competitive gymnast career to an end. "I don't want to talk about that," Shin said, attempting to shy away from the topic when asked by re

At Olympic Games, there is a huge difference in third place and fourth place, as a medal is tangible evidence of success in the sporting world. The tiniest margins of time or distance are powerful enough to decide an athlete's fate. A total of 10 South Korean athletes or teams have just missed the medal podium at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics as of Tuesday, while the country has a total of 19 medals -- six golds, four silvers and nine bronzes. Woo Sang-hyeok cleared 2.35 meters in the men's high

TOKYO -- After finishing out of medal in the Tokyo Olympic men's golf tournament on Sunday, South Korean golfer Kim Si-woo spoke for many golf fans from the country when he said he hoped to see a podium sweep from the women's event. South Korea will have four of the world's top-10 female golfers in the field of 60 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, north of Tokyo, starting Wednesday, The quartet includes Park In-bee, the 2016 gold medalist and an LPGA Hall of Famer. She comes in ranked N

TOKYO -- Get your popcorn ready, or whatever the snack of your choice may be when watching exciting sporting events. It will be South Korea versus Japan in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympic baseball tournament Wednesday. The first pitch is at 7 p.m. at Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. No matter how the game plays out, it will add a new chapter to one of the most intense rivalries in international sports. Baseball is beloved in both countries. While Japan would like nothing more

TOKYO -- South Korean gymnast Shin Jea-hwan did something on Monday that only one other gymnast from the country had done: winning an Olympic gold medal.    And after grabbing the men's vault title at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday, Shin paid tribute to the man that came before him, the 2012 Olympic vault champion Yang Hak-seon.    Shin and Yang both competed in the vault event here. Shin won the qualification stage, but Yang finished ninth, just missing out on the final, w

  TOKYO -- South Korean gymnast Shin Jea-hwan vaulted into the record books at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday, winning the men's vault gold medal to become only the second Olympic gymnastics champion from the country.    Shin scored 14.783 points on average after two vaults in the final held at Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo, beating Denis Abliazin of the Russian Olympic Committee for the gold medal. Shin had 14.733 points with his first vault and 14.833 with the next one. &n

TOKYO -- By reaching the semifinals of the men's table tennis team event at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday, Korea has set up a likely showdown against China, the singular force in international ping pong.    Korea defeated Brazil 3-0 in the quarterfinals earlier in the day at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Though China still had to beat France later in the evening to reach the semifinals, no South Korean player expected to see anyone else but China.    Lee Sang-su sa

SAITAMA -- What a difference five years can make. Before making her Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, South Korean LPGA star Park In-bee was dealing with a left thumb injury. The condition was such that she'd barely played on the tour for a few weeks before the Olympics. She even heard whispers that she should cede her spot to another, healthier golfer. Park stuck to it and captured one of the most memorable gold medals for South Korea that year. The LPGA Hall of Famer is back, still g

YOKOHAMA -- Lost amid South Korea's offensive outburst in an 11-1 win over Israel in the Tokyo Olympic baseball tournament on Monday was yet another outstanding relief appearance by Cho Sang-woo. The closer for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has been one of the most valuable middle relievers for the national team. He has pieced together 4 1/3 scoreless innings in three appearances so far, as South Korea heads into the semifinals scheduled for Wednesday. Cho's bigges

TOKYO -- It was a match that nobody won but then everybody won. Two South Korean tandems met for bronze medal in the women's doubles badminton event at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday. Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong defeated Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan 2-0 (21-10, 21-17) for the country's first and only medal out of badminton here. All four players shed tears, though reasons for their emotional displays were vastly different. Kim and Kong were obviously overjoyed, but at the same time, they f

YOKOHAMA, Japan, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- For the first four innings against Israel in the second-round game of the Tokyo Olympic baseball tournament Monday, South Korea was experiencing much the same problem that had ailed the team in their three previous games. Granted, South Korea had won two of those games, but at some point, its inability to cash in on one scoring opportunity after another could come back to bite. Would that happen in this game? South Korea took a 3-0 lead early but then Israel

TOKYO -- Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong of South Korea won the bronze medal in the women's doubles badminton event at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday, thanks to a victory over their compatriots, Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan. Kim and Kong won the match 2-0 (21-10, 21-17) at Musashino Forest Plaza in Tokyo. The all-Korean bronze medal match was set up after both pairs lost in the semifinals Saturday. This is South Korea's only medal from badminton in Tokyo and also the country's second straight b