Korea names winter training squad for 2022-23

Korea will host its traditional winter squad training from December through to the start of the new year, with 16 recurve archers and 12 compounders invited to the high-performance centre at Jincheon.

Among the big names in the cohort is three-time World Archery Champion Kim Woojin and triple Olympic gold medallist An San.

“I always stand in the field with the determination to do my best, just like it was the first time,” said An San to Jnilbo.

“I want to show my best performance in the remaining third selection round to repay people’s expectations and support.”

Having become a superstar in Korea since winning individual, mixed team and team titles at the last Olympics, the 21-year-old is expected to deliver similar results for Korea later this year in Hangzhou.

The Asian Games were initially scheduled to take place in 2022 but delayed due to the pandemic.

In the recurve categories, the top eight men and women of the 20 remaining in the selection process are invited to Jincheon.

The next phase of trials, when the rosters are cut to the eight summer squad members, will take place in late March.

The final four-athlete teams will then be selected in April, during an event held at the same time as the opening stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya.

Korea is expected to compete internationally for the first time in Shanghai in May in 2023.

London 2012 Olympic Champions Ki Bo Bae, who sits 11th in the women’s leaderboard, and Oh Jin Hyek, currently the 12th-ranked man, remain in contention despite both stating their intentions to retire before Paris 2024.

The trials are led by former world number one Kang Chae Young and former Youth Olympic Champion Lee Woo Seok.

Korea’s winter squad for 2022-2023

• Recurve men: Lee Woo Seok, Kim Woojin, Kim Je Deok, Ku Daehan, Seo Mingi, Choi Jaehwan, Lee Seungshin and Choi Hyun Taek.
• Recurve women: Kang Chae Young, An San, Choi Misun, Kwak Jinyoung, Lee Eun Gyeong, Jang Minhee, Lim Shiyeon and Jo Areum.
• Compound men: Choi Yonghee, Kim Jongho, Yang Jaewon, Park Seung Hyun, Yoon Young Jun and Choi Eun-kyu.
• Compound women: Oh Yoohyun, Song Yun Soo, So Chaewon, Cho Su A, Park Jeong Yoon and Kim Yeonji.