No medals for Korea as handball, volleyball teams fall in semis

Published : Aug 10, 2012 - 09:00 Updated : Aug 10, 2012 - 09:36

There were no medals won Thursday for South Korea, and its women's handball and volleyball teams were both eliminated from the semifinals.

In the handball contest, South Korea lost to Norway 31-25. The volleyball team fell to the U.S. in straight sets.

Against Norway, South Korea failed to put up much of a fight from start to finish. Norway exploited the slow-footed, exhausted South Korean defense with deft passing and quick transition.

(London Olympic Joint Press Corps)

Goalkeeper Katrine Lunde Haraldsen stopped 13 of 25 shots she faced in the game.

South Korea's only lead of the game came in the second minute, after it opened the scoring for a 1-0 advantage. South Korean head coach Kang Jae-won said the packed house at Basketball Arena, which serves as the new handball venue from the semifinals and on, appears to have rattled his young players.

"No one on our team has played in an arena as large and raucous as this," Kang said of the 12,000-seat venue. Previous matches were held at a more compact Copper Box, with 6,500 seats. "I think the players were probably shocked to see so many people in the stands."

Kang admitted his defense couldn't handle Norway's fast breaks, and called the speed of the Norweigian side "scary."

South Korea, having already lost offensive stars Kim On-a and Jung Yu-ra to injuries, suffered another blow in Thursday's loss.

Left back Shim Hae-in left early in the first half after apparently breaking her right wrist in a fall. Kang said Shim may not be available for the bronze medal contest.

"We have to tough it out mentally, because our opponents will be physically exhausted all the same," the coach said. "I will have to use some players who haven't seen much action so far in London."

(Yonhap News)

At Earls Court earlier Thursday, the U.S. took the volleyball match over South Korea 25-20, 25-22, 25-22. Destinee Hooker led the Americans with 24 points.

Kim Yeon-koung, who has been carrying South Korea offensively throughout the tournament, led the losing side with 20 points.

Team captain Kim Sa-nee said she and her teammates entered the game confident of a victory but "the U.S. was just too much for us."

"We have to accept what we have to accept," the captain said.

"We have to hold our heads high and move on for the next match."

South Korea hasn't won an Olympic volleyball medal since 1976, and this year's team can still end that drought with a win in the bronze medal match Saturday.

Elsewhere Thursday, rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae put herself in a good position to reach the individual all-around final. After the hoop and ball routines, the first two of four components, Son was in fourth place among 24 gymnasts.

She scored 28.075 points in hoop and 27.825 points in ball for 55.900 combined points. Daria Dmitrieva of Russia finished at the top of the field at 57.800 points.

Son and the rest of the field will return Friday for the clubs and ribbon segments. The top-10 gymnasts after the four components will reach Saturday's final.

Son, 18, is looking to become the first South Korean rhythmic gymnast to reach an Olympic final.

South Korea will try to resume collecting medals again Friday.

The men's football team takes on Japan in the bronze medal contest in Cardiff. Hwang Kyung-seon in women's taekwondo will try to defend her gold medal in the under-67-kilogram class. (Yonhap News)