S. Korea sweeps all four archery titles in Rio

Published : Aug 13, 2016 - 10:53 Updated : Aug 13, 2016 - 11:35

South Korea made Olympic archery history at the Rio de Janeiro Games on Friday -- which is saying something because the country seems to have been doing that for decades.

Ku Bon-chan won the men's individual gold medal, beating Jean-Charles Valladont of France 7-3 (30-28, 28-26, 29-29, 28-29, 27-26).

With Ku's victories, South Korea captured all four archery titles in Rio, an unprecedented feat in Olympic history. South Korea now has 23 archery gold medals, easily tops among all nations.

South Korean archer Ku Bon-chan (Yonhap)

Ku became the second double gold medalist for South Korea in Rio, after fellow archer Chang Hye-jin, who won her individual gold on Thursday in addition to the team gold last weekend.

Ku is also the first South Korean man to win two archery gold medals at an Olympics.

Korean archer Ku Bon-chan (right) hangs his medal to Chung Eui-sun, Hyundai Motor vice chairman, after his victory on Friday in Rio. Chung is the chairman of Korea Archery Association. (Yonhap)

Also on Friday, South Korea got an unexpected silver medal at the Olympic Shooting Centre, where Kim Jong-hyun captured silver in the men's 50m rifle prone.

He finished with 208.2 points, 1.3 behind the champion from Germany, Henri Junghaenel. The winning score of 209.5 points was an Olympic record.

Kim's main event is 50m rifle three positions. He won silver in that event at the 2012 London Olympics, and will try to win his second straight medal there on Sunday.

Kim's was the second shooting medal for South Korea in Rio.

South Korea has now won six gold medals, to go along with three silvers and four bronzes.

Elsewhere, South Korea failed to win a judo gold on Friday, and ended the Rio Games without one. It leaves with two silver and one bronze.

The last time South Korea didn't pick up a gold medal in judo was the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

In men's golf, An Byeong-hun and Wang Jeung-hun both shot 72s at the par-71, 7,128-yard Olympic Golf Course.

An is at two-under 140 after two rounds, putting himself in a four-way tie for 18th. Wang, at even 142, is tied for 30th with six others.

Marcus Fraser of Australia is the leader at 10-under.

North Korea got its first gold medal, as weightlifter Rim Jong-sim won the women's 75kg class with a total of 274kg -- with 121kg in snatch and 153kg in clean and jerk.

In 2012, Rim won the Olympic gold in the 69kg class. She is only the second North Korean athlete, after freestyle wrestler Kim Il, to win two Olympic gold medals.

Prior to Rim's victory, North Korea had two silver and two bronze medals.

(Yonhap)