Ki wins shoot-off

Women's archery gold returns to South Korea

Last Updated: August 2, 2012 4:42pm

Ko Bo Bae: Beat Aida Roman in a shoot-off

Ki Bo Bae has returned the women's archery gold to South Korea after edging a one-arrow shoot-off with Mexico's Aida Roman at Lord's.

Ki, the top seed and world number two, was pushed all the way by the unfancied Roman and after drawing 5-5 across five sets, the Olympic title was decided one shot apiece.

Ki drew first and hit a disappointing eight that crept high, but with nine needed to complete a huge upset Roman's arrow veered left and ended further out in the eight ring.

South Korean women won every individual gold between the Los Angeles Games in 1984 and Athens 20 years later but had to settle for silver and bronze in Beijing.

Ki, who now has two golds having been part of a triumphant three-string team on Sunday, was not at her imperious best on a day when inconsistent winds made it hard for the competitors to produce solid groups, but she did enough to take a 6-5 victory in the most tense of finales.

It was a memorable day for Mexico too, as Mariana Avitia added bronze to Roman's silver - their country's first ever archery medals.

Five-time Olympian Khatuna Lorig, of the United States, went down 6-2 to Roman in the bronze medal match.

Ki's route to the final was relatively untroubled as she came past Ren Hayakawa in straight sets, defeated European champion Ksenia Perova 7-3 in the quarter-final and then beat Lorig 6-2 in the last four.

Roman, ranked 13th in the world and placed 11th after the ranking round, won 7-3 against the in-form Miki Kanie in the morning before overcoming Italy's Pia Lionetti 6-2 and edging her 18-year-old team-mate Avitia 6-2 for a place in the final.