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abendgulesSo:
1. China Zhang Juan Juan (world cup medalist)
2. S.Korea, Park Sung-Hyun (previous gold medalist)
3. S.Korea Yun Ok-hee (previous world cup medalist)
4. N.Korean Kwon Un Sil (prev. 9th in world champs) is 4th, lost to S. Korean
This is the first time Korea has not taken the gold since 1984.
I'm familiar with world championships, but 'world cup' is a new development in archery competitions.
I *think* it's possibly the pre-Olympic 'filter' event, that determines who gets to go to the Olympics from the world regions, but I'm not certain.
The N. Korean was an extremely 'tight' shooter - everything about her style was tightly controlled. She held the bow (even when wearing a finger sling), she stopped almost completely in mid-draw to turn her bow arm and set her shoulders, then drew aimed shot very very quickly, almost like a snapshooter. Almost no time to aim at all.
And her release ended up far behind her head, but in a very different way from the dynamic releases of all the other Asian archers.
The rain was absolutely pelting down for the 1/8 finals, but the scores were just a bit lower than typical: 105 and 109 vs. 112-114 (out of 120). More 8s shot, wider groups, at least to start.
It was sort of heartening to see even the elite archers, like Park, struggle with nerves - you could see that she was irritated with her results, and she only squeaked into the final. Most of the matches were only separated by 1-3 points. There wasn't much to choose between anyone.
The difference is that their 'nerves' result in an 8, whereas my nerves resulted in 6, 5 or worse. :-)
There were some very cool camera angles: a pinhole camera in the centre of the target showed some shots (replays, while filling arrow-collecting time) landing right next to it. Very flashy! though not very informative about the shot if it wasn't in the gold.
They had cameras directly in front of the archers, showing their draw and anchor and pull through the clicker, and release and follow through - good view of the relaxed (or not relaxed) hand.
There were some fine replays in slow-mo, showing the arrow leaving the bow, and its fishtailing motion down to the target, and also the tiny shower of rain springing off the stabilizers on release.
They also added a mic right in front of the archer, so you could hear both the release and the 'thuck' of the arrow hitting the target - a complete experience.
Even the Koreans are using a lot more 'body English' (body Korean?) after the shot - their follow through used to be so controlled, so mechanical, no matter what the conditions.
It's extraordinary to see how much freer they are now. Perhaps now the fact that the arrow is gone long before you can react has sunk into training, and so now rather than recommending a consistent followthrough on the bow side, what you do with the bow afterward doesn't matter.
The crowd following was crazy: I've never seen chanting fans at an archery competition before. :-) The Koreans and the Chinese were keenest of course, and cheered after every arrow. Astonishing.
It was sort of funny to see them toughing out the huge downpours: everyone broke out their plastic pocket rain jackets in translucent pastel colours - they looked like dancing candied almonds in the stands.
Yesterday in one of the elims a Russian and and American man shot off, and tied.
So then they have a single-arrow shoot-off, and tie, both shooting 8s.
So they shoot off again - and tie, again, with 9s.
So finally they get one more arrow to shoot off (if this one tied, they'd have to measure it from the centre of the target, which is a bit naff, but I suppose you have to break it somehow) and finally the American pulled a 9 out of his ass to the Russian's 8.
But they both looked almost embarrassed and awkward, at both losing their composure so much in this shootoff - each convinced the other would tromp all over them, only to be given a reprieve, twice.
Results pages, if you're interested. New Olympic record shot by one of the Korean men here - 117 out of 120. (World record of 120 out of 120 dates to 2005. Eeek.)
1. China Zhang Juan Juan (world cup medalist)
2. S.Korea, Park Sung-Hyun (previous gold medalist)
3. S.Korea Yun Ok-hee (previous world cup medalist)
4. N.Korean Kwon Un Sil (prev. 9th in world champs) is 4th, lost to S. Korean
This is the first time Korea has not taken the gold since 1984.
I'm familiar with world championships, but 'world cup' is a new development in archery competitions.
I *think* it's possibly the pre-Olympic 'filter' event, that determines who gets to go to the Olympics from the world regions, but I'm not certain.
The N. Korean was an extremely 'tight' shooter - everything about her style was tightly controlled. She held the bow (even when wearing a finger sling), she stopped almost completely in mid-draw to turn her bow arm and set her shoulders, then drew aimed shot very very quickly, almost like a snapshooter. Almost no time to aim at all.
And her release ended up far behind her head, but in a very different way from the dynamic releases of all the other Asian archers.
The rain was absolutely pelting down for the 1/8 finals, but the scores were just a bit lower than typical: 105 and 109 vs. 112-114 (out of 120). More 8s shot, wider groups, at least to start.
It was sort of heartening to see even the elite archers, like Park, struggle with nerves - you could see that she was irritated with her results, and she only squeaked into the final. Most of the matches were only separated by 1-3 points. There wasn't much to choose between anyone.
The difference is that their 'nerves' result in an 8, whereas my nerves resulted in 6, 5 or worse. :-)
There were some very cool camera angles: a pinhole camera in the centre of the target showed some shots (replays, while filling arrow-collecting time) landing right next to it. Very flashy! though not very informative about the shot if it wasn't in the gold.
They had cameras directly in front of the archers, showing their draw and anchor and pull through the clicker, and release and follow through - good view of the relaxed (or not relaxed) hand.
There were some fine replays in slow-mo, showing the arrow leaving the bow, and its fishtailing motion down to the target, and also the tiny shower of rain springing off the stabilizers on release.
They also added a mic right in front of the archer, so you could hear both the release and the 'thuck' of the arrow hitting the target - a complete experience.
Even the Koreans are using a lot more 'body English' (body Korean?) after the shot - their follow through used to be so controlled, so mechanical, no matter what the conditions.
It's extraordinary to see how much freer they are now. Perhaps now the fact that the arrow is gone long before you can react has sunk into training, and so now rather than recommending a consistent followthrough on the bow side, what you do with the bow afterward doesn't matter.
The crowd following was crazy: I've never seen chanting fans at an archery competition before. :-) The Koreans and the Chinese were keenest of course, and cheered after every arrow. Astonishing.
It was sort of funny to see them toughing out the huge downpours: everyone broke out their plastic pocket rain jackets in translucent pastel colours - they looked like dancing candied almonds in the stands.
Yesterday in one of the elims a Russian and and American man shot off, and tied.
So then they have a single-arrow shoot-off, and tie, both shooting 8s.
So they shoot off again - and tie, again, with 9s.
So finally they get one more arrow to shoot off (if this one tied, they'd have to measure it from the centre of the target, which is a bit naff, but I suppose you have to break it somehow) and finally the American pulled a 9 out of his ass to the Russian's 8.
But they both looked almost embarrassed and awkward, at both losing their composure so much in this shootoff - each convinced the other would tromp all over them, only to be given a reprieve, twice.
Results pages, if you're interested. New Olympic record shot by one of the Korean men here - 117 out of 120. (World record of 120 out of 120 dates to 2005. Eeek.)
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no subject
Date: 2008-08-14 11:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-14 11:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-14 02:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-14 04:35 pm (UTC)It took me another couple of years before I started shooting barebow, right-handed, in the SCA.
I've stuck my head round the door at a couple of local clubs, but mostly to see how they felt about longbow shooters. But I keep forgetting to join the GNAS (their payment year starts in October) so keep deciding not to join til next year...
pogbody learned to shoot in London, and I think belonged to a club in S. London - maybe ask her?
no subject
Date: 2008-08-14 05:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-14 06:42 pm (UTC)That must have hurt on a 122cm target!
The next Gent's individual round isn't til tomorrow.
The remaining Brit seems to be up against a Cuban called Juan Carlos Stevens - there's got to be an interesting biography/geneology there!