Tag: Archery

South Korea’s Olympic archery dynasty was just saved by a magnifying glass

THIS IS SOOOOO CLOSE!

The South Korean women’s archery team is arguably one of the greatest dynasties in Olympic history. Simply put, they don’t lose.

After winning yet another gold medal on Sunday, the team has won 10 straight Olympic gold medals in the team archery event. They’ve won every women’s team archery event since 1988. By the time the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles come around, they’ll have maintained the gold position on the podium for 40 years. No matter what way you slice it, that’s incredibly impressive.

That streak was a magnifying glass away from being over this year.

The gold medal archery match between South Korea and China was so close that it came down to a shoot-off between the two sides. And the shoot-off was so close that it came down to the final arrow. And the final arrow was so close to the border between a 9 and 10 (which is the score South Korea needed for gold), that it had to be determined by a magnifying glass.

A. MAGNIFYING GLASS. Unreal.

Here’s more from Rodger Sherman:

Apparently, the magnifying glass use is pretty commonplace. Could’ve fooled me. This seems pretty wild. You could cut that tension with a knife. SO much was riding on that spot.

South Korea’s final arrow turned out to be a 10 instead of a 9, which it was originally scored. So the dynasty was officially preserved.

But, man. That’s CLOSE.

 

12 archery ranges where you can let your arrows fly

Hit ’em with your best shot.

Historically, archery has been the domain of warriors and hunters. But even if you have no inclination toward warfare or slaughtering your own dinner, the challenging sport has health and psychological benefits. It can increase your confidence and improve your hand-eye coordination and upper-body strength. And talk about focus! Archers must be able to stand strong and steady while anticipating how wind, sun, rain, and other conditions will influence their arrows. People of all ages (though experts recommend children be at least eight years old) can enjoy the sport. Whether you’re an accomplished or aspiring archer, here are some archery ranges around the United States and Canada where you can let your arrows fly.