Lee Yong-dae (top) and Ko Sung-hyun of Korea captured the gold medal in men’s doubles badminton.(Yonhap News)
KAZAN, Russia (Yonhap News) ― South Korea is well on its way to achieve a top-three finish at the ongoing multi-sport competition for university athletes in Russia.
Through Thursday’s action of the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, South Korea has claimed 12 gold medals and 26 medals overall to stand in second place.
Host Russia is running away with the competition, having captured 72 gold medals, more than the total of the next six countries combined, and 135 medals in total.
The International University Sports Federation organizes two Universiades each year: one in summer and the other in winter.
The Summer Universiade opened on July 6 and will run until next Wednesday. According to organizers, about 10,000 athletes from 162 countries flew to Russia to compete in 27 sports. Korea sent 309 athletes to 19 sports.
Two Asian sporting rivals are closely behind South Korea in Kazan. Japan has grabbed 10 gold medals and has 11 more medals overall than South Korea, with 37. China is in fourth place with nine gold medals and 29 medals in total.
For South Korea, nearly half of its gold medals have come from badminton. Lee Yong-dae, an Olympic bronze medalist in men’s doubles, earned two of South Korea’s five gold medals in the sport.
Lee and Ko Sung-hyun, the No. 1-ranked men’s doubles duo, defeated the Russian tandem of Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov by the set score of 2-1.
Lee won the London medal with his long-time partner Chung Jae-sung. After Chung retired following the Olympics, Lee teamed up with Ko last fall, and the new team reached the top ranking in May.
Earlier, Lee had helped South Korea defeat China in the mixed team event. Also, Sung Ji-hyun became the women’s singles badminton champion, beating Tai Tzu-Ying of Taiwan in straight sets. Sung is the first South Korean to win a Universiade gold in a badminton singles event.
Korean shuttlers also got to the top of the podium in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles. Kim So-young has earned three gold medals in women’s doubles, mixed doubles and the mixed team event.
Five more gold medals came from judo, with the 2008 Olympic silver medalist in men’s 73-kilogram class, Wang Ki-chun, leading the way. In women’s judo, Hwang Ye-seul earned her first Universiade gold on her third try, taking the 70-kg title.
Artistic gymnast Yang Hak-seon, the reigning Olympic champion in men’s vault, cruised to the gold on Wednesday, earning 15.787 points to beat Denis Ablyazin of Russia, who managed 15.350 points.
Epee fencer Shin A-lam captured the gold in the individual event and joined her Olympic teammates, Choi In-jeong and Choi Eun-sook, for silver in the team event. The three had also won silver in the team epee competition in London.
Also set to compete is rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae. The reigning Asian champion in the individual all-around event arrived in Kazan on Thursday, and the competition will begin on Sunday.