Olympics-Archery-South Korea beats Germany for gold in mixed team event

By Sheila Dang

PARIS (Reuters) -South Korea's mixed archery pair of Lim Si-hyeon and Kim Woo-jin swept the floor 6-0 with their German opponents to take the gold medal and retain their title at the Paris Olympics on Friday.

It is the third gold medal that South Korea has won in archery in Paris, as the country's dominance of the sport continues. The United States took the bronze medal.

Kim is the first archer to win four gold medals - two in Tokyo and two more in Paris - and said he had no plans to put down his bow.

"I think I'm writing part of history, so I'm very proud. I'm not planning to retire any time soon," he said.

He and Lim won gold earlier during the Games in the men's and women's team events, respectively. The German pairing of Michelle Kroppen and Florian Unruh were no match for them, falling short in the first set and never recovering.

The crowd at Esplanade des Invalides, with a large South Korean contingent, cheered wildly when Lim and Kim hit the bullseye in three out of four shots in the first set.

When asked about the key to his country's archery success, Kim cited South Korea's deep commitment to nurturing young archers, which includes introducing the sport into public schools.

Until other countries develop a similar pipeline, South Korea will be "hard to beat," said the United States' Brady Ellison, who won his fourth Olympic medal.

The mixed team event in archery was introduced for the first time during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, with South Korea winning the inaugural gold medal.

The medal ceremony on Friday was an emotional moment for the United States' Casey Kaufhold, who cried on the podium.

During a press conference, Kaufhold was told of a Korean admonition that if someone cries and laughs at the same time, they will grow hair on their bottom, meaning they should not do it.

"My happiness comes out in happy tears," she responded. "If that means I have hairs, I'll take it."

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Paris; Editing by Hugh Lawson)