Kim Jong Ho secured South Korea’s first gold medal of the 20th Asian Games by defeating Chinese Taipei’s Chang Cheng-Wei in the men’s individual recurve archery final. The victory also marks a historic first title for a South Korean male archer in this specific Asian Games event.
Kim Jong Ho Dominates Recurve Final
Facing Chang Cheng-Wei for the continental crown, Kim set a blistering pace from the opening ends. The South Korean competitor maintained exceptional accuracy throughout the gold-medal match, highlighted by a flawless sequence of 12 arrows that each scored a maximum 10 points. That sustained precision allowed Kim to control the tempo and keep his opponent on the defensive.
Despite late efforts from Chang to close the gap, the Chinese Taipei archer could not overturn the deficit. Kim finished the regulation ends with a total score of 149 points out of a possible 150, missing a clean sweep of maximum scores by a single point. Chang concluded his campaign with a total of 145 points.
Historic Milestone for South Korean Archery
The gold medal carries deep significance for a nation renowned for international archery dominance. While South Korea historically occupies the upper echelon of world archery, Kim’s victory fills a notable gap by delivering the country’s first-ever individual men’s recurve gold at the Asian Games.
The triumph serves as the initial gold medal for the broader South Korean archery delegation at the 20th Asian Games across five contested events so far. Following the conclusion of this match, the South Korean team stands just behind India in the ongoing archery medal standings for the current Games, setting the stage for intense competition in the remaining bracket matches.
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