South Korea sweeps women's medals

SYDNEY, SEPT. 19 South Korean teenager Yun Mi-Jin called for a united Korean team at the next Olympics after winning gold in the women's individual archery event today. Yun, a 17-year-old high school student, beat compatriot Kim Nam-Soon 107-106 in the final as South Korea swept all three medals.

Yun said later she hoped the next time she competes in an Olympics it will be for a united team. All four semi-finalists came from Korea and the teams marched together at the opening ceremony.

``At the ceremony it felt like two countries had become one country,'' she said. ''I hope we will all be wearing the same uniform next time.'' Kim soon-Nyung, the 1988 Olympic champion and 1992 silver medallist, took bronze with a 103-101 win over Choe ok Sil of North Korea in the third-place match.

Yun, competing in her first major international event, set an Olympic record for 18 arrows when she beat Alison Williamson of Britain 173-164 in the morning - bettering the former record of 168 set by Natalia Nasaridze of Turkey at the 1996 Atlanta games. Yun's score was also a world junior record.

In the 12-arrow semi-final, she scored a 107-105 victory over Kim soon-Nyung, who Koreans believe is the best woman archer ever. She then sealed gold with a narrow final win over Kim Nam-Soon in difficult blustery conditions.

``I didn't come here expecting to win a medal of any sort, so this feels great,'' she said. ''It must have been fate.'' Yun said her youth made her confident she could go to Athens and win gold again in four years time - when she will still be 21. It was the fifth straight Olympic victory in the women's individual event for a South Korean woman but the nation's first gold in any event at the Sydney Games.

The South Koreans were the only team to have more than one competitor reach the last eight and veteran Kim Soon-Nyung was the sentimental favourite. Kim, who won her first Olympic gold at 17, returned to competition this year after an absence of more than seven years during which she had two children.

She now has a complete set of gold, silver and bronze medals for the individual event, as well as two golds in the women's team event. She said she planned to continue in the sport.

- Reuters.

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