Oh Jin Hyek returns to Korea team as men’s coach

The London 2012 Olympic Champion, Oh Jin Hyek, has returned to the national team as coach of the Korea recurve men’s squad for the outdoor season, as Asian nations prepare for the 20th Asian Games in Japan in September.

Oh was a familiar and distinctive figure in the Korea team throughout much of the 2010s. Alongside his historic victory at London 2012 at the age of 30, he won the individual Asian Games title in 2014 and claimed team gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The only major title he never won was the World Archery Championships, where he finished with individual silver twice.

Oh retired in 2023 after transitioning into a player-coach role with his Hyundai Steel professional team. While most coaches are former archers, few possess a résumé quite as decorated as his.

“Having played on that field, I understand the mindset,” he said. “I suppose as an archer, I was perhaps a bit too preoccupied with winning and losing, but when I watch from the sidelines, I can see the process of how the match unfolds in much greater detail.”

By observing matches differently than when he competed himself, Oh believes he can help athletes recognise details and momentum shifts they might otherwise miss.

“I can remind them of the aspects they might overlook or miss. The archers can pick up on those points and turn the match around immediately.”

He now takes charge of the same extraordinary trio that dominated at Paris 2024 – Kim Woojin, Lee Woo Seok and Kim Je Deok. The latter two also competed alongside Oh at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, where Korea won team gold in what proved to be his final major competition as an athlete.

Asked about coaching athletes he knows so well, Oh stressed that his role is not to change them.

“I don’t want to teach them what I do,” he said. “They’re already doing well, so I have to help them continue doing what they do best. They have their own strengths, and I will pay attention to those strengths.”

“I never imagined Woojin would develop to this extent, and as I spent time with him, I found myself hoping he’d do well, and he did. He’s grown so much.”

Despite his long list of medals at major competitions, Oh missed out on selection for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games after finishing fourth in the Korean trials, missing qualification by a single point.

“Because of my experience [in London], I was kind of obsessed with the Olympics. My life changed after London, and so I felt I had failed.”

That made his return to the Korea team for Tokyo 2020 all the more remarkable – just weeks shy of his 40th birthday and nearly 12 years after first making his international debut for Korea.

Oh was also known for an unconventional technique by Korean standards and struggled with injuries during the latter stages of his career.

“The biggest difference between shooting when I was young and shooting in my 40s, just before I retired, was definitely the physical aspect,” he said. “When I was younger, I used to feel a lot of subtle sensations, but as I got older, the physical demands took over, and I ended up using my large muscles to shoot.”

Oh explained that age gradually forced him to rely more on strength than precision, making consistency increasingly difficult during the final years of his career.

“But there are older archers doing really well, like Brady Ellison,” he added. “It’s something the athlete has to experience for themselves, so how they think about it, and how they overcome it, is a challenge they have to solve themselves.”

With another Korean legend, Im Dong Hyun, having also moved successfully into coaching in Paris, the Korean federation will feel encouraged entering another major championship year with such experienced and successful figures both on and behind the shooting line.

“We’re practicing hard, I’m giving all my attention to the athletes, and we’re doing everything possible to win the gold medal at the Asian Games,” said Oh. “I’ll do my best.”

With thanks to Iwan Blakeway.