Korean archers share looks, Olympic goals

At first glance, it’s hard to believe the three men that make up South Korean men’s Olympic archery team are gold medal favorites at the upcoming London Olympics.

The motley crew includes the No. 2 male archer in the world, who is legally blind in one eye; a chubby 30-year-old, who wouldn’t pass for an athlete in any sport other than archery; and a shy, 21-year-old college student, whose voice barely rises above a whisper.

Meet Im Dong-hyun, whose 20/200 vision in his left eye hasn’t prevented him from winning two Olympic gold medals and four world championships. Say hello to Oh Jin-hyek, who, at 182 centimeters and 95 kilograms, looks less like an Olympian than a baseball manager who has just failed his latest diet. Here is Kim Bub-min, who, despite his soft-spoken nature, calls himself a “daredevil” in competition.

From afar, it’s difficult to tell one from the other, especially when all three are wearing shades during their outdoor practice. All stand around 180 cm, with Kim giving a couple of centimeters to teammates but still growing, and all are listed by the Korea Archery Association as weighing more than 95 kg.

“We can beat those big European guys not just in competition, but in size, too,” Oh quipped, taking a break from his practice last week at the National Training Center in the nation’s capital.

Im, at 96 kg, said he wasn’t sure if the archers’ weight necessarily helped, but it sure hasn’t hurt them.

“Archery is not a sport where you have to watch your weight,” he said. “Sometimes you have to stand under the sun for a long time. Being big helps us endure the heat.”

Kim is the heaviest of the bunch at 98 kg. He sheepishly said he isn’t even trying to lose weight and added, “I just eat whatever our cafeteria ladies serve us.”

Their round-shaped bodies, easy-going demeanors and quick smiles may give off an impression that they aren’t steely enough for the cutthroat competition that is the Olympics.

But if their looks make you feel all warm and fuzzy, you have been fooled. Beneath their hefty mass lie determined competitors on a mission ― a mission to carry the winning tradition and to end perhaps the most mind-boggling Olympic drought for South Korea.

(Yonhap News)