“Archery gives you conviction. People need conviction all the time; to eat well, to do anything. I would say archery is the best sport for a great life.” – Kim Soo Nyung
Kim Soo Nyung is singularly one of the most under-celebrated, yet highly decorated archers of all time. Reigning from South Korea which is well-equipped with a multitude of talented archers, she stands far beyond the rest with her dexterous skill speaking for itself through the six Olympic medals she acquired in the course of her career. Kim Soo Nyung has served as a role model for young Korean girls to aspire to similar achievements in sports.
Humble Beginnings
Kim Soo Nyung was born on April 5th, 1971 in Chungcheongbuk, South Korea, and began archery at only nine years old at the suggestion of one of her teachers due to her relatively tall height and long arms for her age. By the time she was 13 years old, she became truly dedicated to the mastery of archery and even neglected her middle school studies to extend all of her efforts into perfecting her archery skill.
None of that effort went to waste because by the time she was 16 years old she qualified to join the Korean national team and set a world record at 30 meters long at the international ‘COQ France’ event in 1987. The following year she made a stunning Olympic debut in the 1988 Seoul Olympics by securing gold medals in both team and individual events.
“The Viper” Strikes
If you ask Kim Soo Nyung or any of the other renowned South Korean archers about the key to their success, they may simply answer that it is in their blood. However, Kim’s prolific skill in this precision-based sport set her far ahead of her peers with her sharp, accurate shooting skills setting the premise for her nickname, “The Viper.” Kim’s precise aim and attention to detail in the sport are reflected in every instance she is seen equipped with her bow and arrow. Her performance in the 1988 Olympics established her legacy by shooting perfect scores across the board at every distance.
Kim won the gold medal that year by 12 points— a staggering difference ahead of the other competitors, at only 17 years old. She highlighted that accomplishment by emphasizing that, “other competitors did their best but my performance had really peaked in those months,” explaining her edge over the other athletes was through her perseverance and diligence in perfecting her skill.
She established her position as a top athlete by performing well in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and walking away with gold and silver medals in the team and individual events, respectively. By age 21, she decided to retire to start a family despite being at the top of her career, but that would not be the last the world would see from Kim Soo Nyung.
Remarkable Comeback
“Ultimately, the decision to return was simple, but shooting itself was harder than I thought.”- Kim Soo Nyung
With not much more to prove, Kim Soo Nyung retired after the 1992 Olympics for a while due to her personal life which included marrying and raising two children. However, in the same year she gave birth to her son, one of her Korean archery manufacturers asked her to work with them. She decided to participate in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and retire after that. Kim Soo Nyung then participated in the national competition and felt there was potential after earning 10th place.
“Our sensitive fingertips descended from our ancestors, and our spiritual strength and willingness to fight until the very end — they are the secrets.” – Kim Soo Nyung
She decided to start training again in 1999 for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. During the individual event, she lost against her teammate Yun Mi-Jin in the semi-finals but also beat her opponent for the bronze medal. The comeback stage impressed people because she made herself notable by winning a bronze medal in the individual event and gold in the team’s event.
Her Achievements
Over the course of her short career, Kim Soo Nyung earned a total of six Olympic medals making her the most decorated female archer of all time.
6 total medals:
→ 4 gold [1988 Seoul Individual, 1988 Seoul Team, 1992 Barcelona Team, 2000 Sydney Team]
→ 1 silver [1992 Barcelona Individual]
→ 1 bronze [2000 Sydney Individual]
Her Influence on Sports History
Kim Soo Nyung influenced an entire generation of young female archers in South Korea and even competed on the same team and against some of them individually in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Accomplished female archers hailing from South Korea, including Yun Mi-Jin who beat out Kim for the gold medal in individual in 2000, cited her as the “master” archer whose skill cannot be exceeded.
Another Olympian Kim Nam Soon emphasized this influence commenting, “We learned just from watching her shoot with confidence.” In 2011, her archery prowess gained more recognition as she was named the “Female Archer of the 20th Century” by World Archery. Today, Kim Soo-Nyung excitedly coaches archery to children, passing down her knowledge and skills and continuing to be a symbol of Korea’s women’s archery.
By Young-wook Sohn
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