A Nameless Married Player Beats Yoon Mi-jin

Both the winner and the loser smiled brightly.

It was the women’s final of the 2004 Seoul International Indoor Archery Championship held at the Olympic weight-lifting arena on January 8. Admiration burst out among spectators when Lee Jeom-sook, 31, from Incheon City, who led 108-107, shot a 10 in her final shot. This was the moment when a nameless player beat the Sydney Olympics two-time gold medalist, Yoon Mi-jin, 21, from Kyounghee University.

Yoon pulled the final bow with a sigh, knowing that she couldn’t win in spite of 10 points. The final one got in the area of nine. With 118-116, it was a surprising victory for married-woman Lee Jeom-sook. Lee is the shortest player in Korea at one meter and 54 centimeters. She was so happy because she has never represented Korea during her 20 year career in archery.

However Yoon didn’t look disappointed.

Yoon said, “I knew that it was over at her 10 points. I did my best on the final shot, but it was only nine. I learned a lot.”

Yoon did a pleasant revenge in this championship. In the quarterfinal, she defeated Taiwanese Wian Suchi, who dropped Yoon in the semifinal of the 2002 Busan Asian Games. Yoon edged out Wian with the score of 116-110 owing to Wian’s self-destruction of seven and eight points in the second end. In the semifinal, Yoon finished to beat Greek Evangelia Psara who is ranked fourth in the world, with a score of 117-116 after a hand-to-hand fight. In fact Yoon’s good result was not expected.

She commented, “I feel comfortable in a normal game of 70m but not good in an indoor game of 18m. I finished in the bottom at this championship two years ago. I always practice at the 70m distance preparing for the Olympics in Taereung Sports Town. I think I did a good job because I trained 18m only yesterday.”

The ace of Korea women’s archery, Yoon Mi-jin will challenge for an unprecedented goal of two gold medals and two consecutive gold in the Athens Olympics. It is quite possible since she already took two gold medals (single and team) at the New York World Championship last year. If she passes over the domestic tryout which seems tougher than the Olympics, the goal will not be just dream.

She is determined saying, “I was experienced well ahead of the Olympics. I feel great with a fresh start. I will do my best and give good performances if I join the Olympics.”

12. Richard Park on Fire

After the time clock hit zero in the fourth period, the crowd hollered out the Korean hockey player’s name “Park Yong Soo” (28) at the NHL regular season game between the Minnesota Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks. Park became the spotlight of the 7-4 victory of the game after scoring one goal and an assist as a right wing for the Wild. Park total points for the season increased to 16 with seven goals and nine assists.

As Park’s shooting senses build up and now in his prime, he notched an assist with an accurate pass, at 4:32 left in the second period with his team trailing 1-3, with the putt ending up in Chicago`s net.

Soon after, Park scored the go-ahead goal at 3:02 in 3rd period with the score tied 3-3, with an assist by Brunet and turned things around. With the help of Park’s efforts, Minnesota held off and won, combined with a goal from Dupuis and Laaksonen respectively.

Park Yong-soo is the second Korean NHL player ever after Baek Ji-sun, who played

for the Penguins in the early 1990s as a defender winning two Stanley Cup Championship rings.

Park`s family immigrated to the U.S. in 1979, and Park first set foot on the ice in 1984. He signed a contract with Pittsburgh in 1994, but due to his physical stature he was sent down to the minor leagues in 1998 as he suffered many difficulties.

Park, who returned to Korea in 1999 and played a couple of seasons for Hyundai Oilbanks in the Korean league, headed back to the U.S. and became a member of opening season Minnesota Wild team in 2001. After his comeback, Park put his name on the national player list in 2002 and is currently enjoying the best days of his career.

ssoo@donga.com