Korean fans rally behind Chadian archer who shot 1 point in loss to Kim Woo-jin

Olympic Sports

Korean fans rally behind Chadian archer who shot 1 point in loss to Kim Woo-jin

Published: 31 Jul. 2024, 17:27

PAIK JI-HWAN
paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr

Chadian archer Israel Madaye competes in the men's individual 1/32 elimination round at the Paris Olympics at the Invalides in Paris on Tuesday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Korean fans showed their support Tuesday for Chadian archer Israel Madaye after he lost to Kim Woo-jin in the men’s individual 1/32 elimination round at the Paris Olympics during which he shot one point in the second set.

At Les Invalides in Paris on Tuesday, Madaye shot 26 points in the first set, 15 in the second set and 25 in the third set, securing zero set points and losing to Kim, who shot 29, 29 and 30 for six set points.

An archer shoots three arrows per set for a possible perfect score of 30 during the individual competition. Winning a set is worth two points, and a tie means each side earns one point. The first person to claim six set points wins the match.

During Madaye’s second set, he shot just one point with his third arrow, a rare instance by a professional archer at the Olympics. The arrow was not even visible on the screen, as it hit the white circular part of the target.

After he lost the match, Korean fans rallied behind him, leaving encouraging comments on his Instagram posts like “You were so awesome. I was touched by your passion. Always be happy,” “Thank you for the great match! I support you from a long way” or “I support your passion and Olympic spirit. Never give up and I hope to see you at the next Olympics.”

Madaye, 36, reportedly started archery in 2008 and learned the sport on his own. He won two bronze medals at the 2019 African Games.

He also won a gold medal in the mixed team recurve bow with Martine Abaifouta Hallas Maria at the 2023 African Archery Championships, qualifying for the Paris Olympics.

This year marks his first time competing at the Olympics. He is one of the three representatives at the Games from his country, with one judoka and one athlete competing in the marathon.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]