Japan Defeated at Shoot-Off End... Kim Je-deok's Arrow Closest to Target Center for Victory
The men's archery team defeated Japan to advance to the finals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics team event. They are now one win away from achieving back-to-back team event championships following the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
The men's team, composed of Oh Jin-hyek (Hyundai Steel), Kim Woo-jin (Cheongju City Hall), and Kim Je-deok (Gyeongbuk Ilgo), won a shoot-off against the Japanese team of Muto Hiroki, Kawata Yuki, and Furukawa Takaharu at the Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo on the 26th during the semifinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics men's team event. The shoot-off ended 28-28 without a clear winner, but the arrow shot by the 'youngest' Kim Je-deok was closest to the center of the target.
The team easily took the first set (58-54). All three archers scored 10 points with their first arrows, gaining the upper hand early. However, Japan was not to be underestimated. In the second set (54-55), they showed concentration by shooting two 10-point arrows, leveling the match. The team regained the lead in the third set (58-55) by hitting four 10-point shots. But in the fourth set (53-56), the Japanese players all scored 10 points with their first arrows, fighting hard and preventing the match from concluding.
In the ensuing shoot-off, the team shot two 9-point arrows and one 10-point arrow. Japan responded with the same score. However, Kawata's 10-point arrow was farther from the center of the target than Kim Je-deok's, pushing Japan to the bronze medal match. Kim Je-deok's arrow was 0.33 cm from the center, while Kawata's was 0.57 cm away.
The team will face Taiwan, who defeated the Netherlands 6-0 in set points, at 4:40 PM that day to compete for the gold medal. A victory here would secure back-to-back men's team event championships following the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
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