Olympics: Korean Women Target Supremacy

To say that the three Koreans who set out in the women's individual competition made it through safely to the last 16, is to state the Beijing obvious. Park Sung-Hyun, Joo Hyun-Jung and Yun Ok-Hee, in front of a Korean crowd that easily outnumber all other supporters, including the Chinese, put together, saw off challengers lowly and mid-ranking.

Just once was there a moment when their utter supremacy was challenged. Anja Hitzler (A Hitzler, a soldier from Berlin - how grateful she must be for that little old z) had a final arrow that might have asked a question of defending Olympic champion Park. The moment told and Hitzler sliced it into the seven ring and the tension was eased. Park, anyway, buried her last arrow in the dead center.

Almost as obvious in these Games of trying times for the British archers was that any safe passage for their threesome into the last 16 would come at a price. And so it was that Naomi Folkard progressed at the expense of Charlotte Burgess in the second round. It was the only tie of the day that matched together two competitors from the same country.

It was made a bit easy for the more experienced Folkard. Burgess had excelled against Guo Dan, whom she had faced in the team event when Britain lost to China, and come through safely, but rather fell apart in the second round.

Folkard was as consistent as ever in the gold rings, but Burgess drifted off into outer orbit. She was all (at) sixes and sevens. Peter Suk, the British coach, went up to her before the final end and painted a smile on her face. Burgess tried but it was a tough round for her.

Folkard will meet Nami Hayakawa in the next round on Thursday. Hayakawa was raised in Korea but went to Nippon Sports Studies University In Tokyo, and stayed in Japan.

Alison Williamson did not make it through the first round. She came up against Khatuna Lorig, who has been on more travels than Hayakawa. She went to the Barcelona Games under the flag of the Unified team, winning a bronze in the team event, and represented her native Georgia in Atlanta and Sydney.

She then moved to Bloomfield, New Jersey, and missed the Athens Olympics because her American citizenship had not come through, but since 2005 she has represented the USA. She shot 112, two short of the Olympic record (equaled yesterday by Yun) to beat Williamson, who said that she hoped everyone understood how hard she had been trying and how tough it was out there. We do, we do. And for those who are left, the prospect of overcoming the Koreans makes it all the more daunting.