Zhang downs a dynasty

SETS HER SIGHT AT GOLD: Zhang Juan Juan of China shoots an arrow in the women's individual archery event at the Olympic Green archery field in Beijing yesterday.Photo: AFP

When China's Zhang Juan Juan beat one of South Korea's best in the women's individual archery quarterfinals, it could easily have been dismissed as luck.
After all, South Korea had won every Olympic gold medal in the event since 1984, had the top three seeds in this year's draw and had already claimed the team title in Beijing.
When Zhang beat another accomplished South Korean in the semifinals, it was undeniably impressive. When she did it for a third time, she earned gold.
Zhang defeated top-seeded Park Sung-hyun 110-109 in the final to cap an unlikely run for the gold medal in front of a boisterous home crowd.
Zhang trailed 109-101 before scoring nine of 10 on her final shot and sending her rain-soaked fans into a frenzy.
“I think this is the result of the efforts of all the Chinese archers,” Zhang said. “I think the gold today should also be attributed to the cheers and spectators, and to my confidence and composure.”
The final looked like a mismatch. Zhang was the 27th seed in qualifying going against the 2004 gold medalist. But Zhang said she always thought she could win.
“I would say I had a dream for the gold,” Zhang said. “When I was competing, I calmed myself down.”
To win gold, Zhang had to beat each member of South Korea's Olympic team champions. First she defeated Joo Hyun-jung, the No. 3 seed, 106-101 in the quarterfinals. Next was No. 2 seed Yun Ok-hee, who she beat 115-109 in the semifinals to tie the Olympic record score Park had set just hours earlier. Then, she beat Park.
Park wiped tears away during the press conference after the gold-medal matchup.
“I do regret the result,” she said. “I am very sad in a way because I feel I may have broken the tradition set by those archers who were before me. However, I feel that by winning the silver, it will make me crave the gold more and make me appreciate the gold more in the future, so I think it's a good experience.”
Park said she hopes there won't be as much pressure on other South Korean archers.
“It will be less burdensome now,” she said. “It's OK to not win gold. It's not a must for them anymore.”
Yun won the bronze medal with a 109-106 win over North Korea's Kwon Un Sil. Yun defeated American Khatuna Lorig 111-105 in the quarterfinals.
Lorig competed for the Unified Soviet Team in 1992 and with the Republic of Georgia in 1996 and 2000. She worried about her family who remain in Georgia where new explosions were heard Thursday amid a shaky cease-fire with Russia, but she was able to focus on archery.
“I actually shot really well, with the way I feel,” she said. “It just wasn't meant to be, I guess.”