Zhang ends ROK Women's Individual winning streak

Zhang Juanjuan of China won the Archery Women's Individual event at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on Thursday and so became the first non-ROK gold medalist in the event since 1984.

Since the 1984 Los Angeles Games, the Republic of Korea has won 15 out of a possible 21 medals in this event. Had ROK won, they would have set the longest running National Olympic Committee winning streak in an individual event.

"I have had a dream to win a gold medal. When I was competing on the field I was calming myself down and I held a belief I would win," Zhang said.

To win the Olympic title, No. 27 seed Zhang had to beat all of the top three seeded ROK women, including Park Sung-hyun, the Individual gold medalist at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Zhang won the final 110-109.

In the semifinal, Zhang took out the No. 1 ranked archer in the world, Yun Ok-hee, 115-109. Zhang's score equaled the Olympic record Park set earlier in the day. In the quarterfinal, she beat Joo Hyung-jung 106-101.

Yun Ok-hee went on to win the bronze medal against Kwon Un-sil of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 109-106.

 
Source: Zhang ends ROK Women's Individual winning streak