Cyclist collects 3rd gold; archers close out campaign with 3 titles

JAKARTA, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) — Ten days into the 18th Asian Games, South Korea can finally boast a triple gold medalist.

Cyclist Na Ah-reum on Tuesday became the first South Korean at this year’s Asiad to win three gold medals, thanks to her victory in the women’s team pursuit track cycling.

Na earlier won the individual road race and time trial gold medals, both of them road events. She can add her second track gold medal in the women’s madison on Friday.

From left: South Korean cyclists Lee Ju-mi, Na Ah-reum, Kim Hyun-ji and Kim You-ri bite their gold medals won in the women’s team pursuit track cycling event at the 18th Asian Games at Jakarta International Velodrome on Aug. 28, 2018. (Yonhap)

There was another trifecta in archery, where South Korea picked up three gold medals on the sport’s final day.

In the men’s individual recurve final, Kim Woo-jin defeated teammate Lee Woo-seok for the gold. Then the women’s and men’s compound teams followed up with gold medals of their own.

With four gold medals on Tuesday, South Korea is still sitting in third place with 32 gold medals, and is unlikely to reach its original target of 65 gold medals with five days remaining.

South Korea had designs on toppling Japan and finishing in second place for the sixth consecutive Asiad. But Japan is 11 gold medals ahead of South Korea through Tuesday and could move even further ahead once judo, one of its strongest sports, starts Wednesday.

Also on Tuesday, South Korea earned silver in the men’s team table tennis event, following a 3-0 loss to China.

China won three straight singles matches to finish off South Korea, with Wang Chuqin closing out Jang Woo-jin 3-1 (13-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6) in the deciding contest.

China has now won the men’s team gold in seven straight Asian Games, and South Korea has been the silver medalist in all of them.

South Korean archery medalists at the 18th Asian Games pose for a group photo at GBK Archery Field in Jakarta on Aug. 28, 2018. (Yonhap)

As the Asiad heads toward the finish line, team sports are getting deeper into the knockout stage. The men’s volleyball team advanced to the semifinals by defeating Indonesia 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-18), and will have a rematch with Chinese Taipei in the semifinals.

South Korea needed five sets to beat Chinese Taipei in preliminary action on Aug. 20.

In Palembang, co-host city with Jakarta, South Korea lost to Japan 2-1 in the women’s football semifinals, with the 86th-minute own goal by Lim Seon-joo being the difference maker.

South Korea won bronze medals at the last two Asian Games and they have yet to reach the gold medal match.

The men’s baseball team hammered Hong Kong 21-3 to lock down the second seed in Group B behind Chinese Taipei, and will play Japan and China in the super round starting Thursday.

South Korea is going for a third straight baseball gold medal, but got off to a rocky start by losing to Chinese Taipei 2-1 on Sunday.

South Korean baseball players celebrate their 21-3 victory over Hong Kong in Group B game at the 18th Asian Games at GBK Baseball Field in Jakarta on Aug. 28, 2018. (Yonhap)