[Asian Games] S. Korea wins first-ever silver in team rhythmic gymnastics

South Korean earned its first-ever silver medal in the rhythmic gymnastics team event at the Incheon Asian Games Wednesday.

The team of Son Yeon-jae, Lee Da-ae, Gim Yun-hee and Lee Na-kyung collected a combined 164.046 points from the four apparatus routines in the team final held in Namdong Gymnasium, southern Incheon, after Uzbekistan with 170.130.

South Korea had previously collected two team bronzes in 1998 and 2002.

For the team event, a team of four gymnasts compete in 12 routines, with the top 10 scores being tallied as the team score.

Defending Asiad champion Kazakhstan gained bronze with 163.131.

Son and Gim participated in all four apparatus, while Lee Da-ae competed in the ball and the hoop and Lee Na-kyung played in the clubs and the ribbon.

Son chalked up a total of 71.732 points after four routines to steer her team into second place for the first time. She finished first in the individual all-round qualifying round and advanced to the final.

Gim Yun-hee, 23, the eldest on the team, lent support to the silver-medal finish with a combined 62.848 points.

South Korea remained fourth after Gim finished her final clubs routine where she took 16.183 points.

But Son's stellar performance in the clubs that gave her a whopping 18.016 points lifted South Korea to second place from fourth.

"It would be better if we'd won gold in the team event because we did our best," said Son after the match. "But I'm happy that we won the silver in the Asian Games held in Incheon. I want to thank them (her teammates) for doing their best." (Yonhap)