(Asiad) Lee Woo-seok finally finds 'last piece of puzzle' with individual archery gold at Asian Games

OKAZAKI, Japan, Oct. 3 (Yonhap) -- Archer Lee Woo-seok had longed for a gold medal in the individual event since he first competed at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

There, he won two silvers in the men's team and individual events.

At the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, Lee won two gold medals in the men's team and mixed team recurve events, while taking bronze in the men's individual event.

Three years later, at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, he finally fulfilled his wish after beating Junya Nakanishi of Japan in the final of the men's individual recurve event.

"I'm glad that I finally found the last piece of the puzzle that I've wished for most," Lee said.

South Korea's Lee Woo-seok celebrate his gold medal after winning the final of the men's individual recurve in archery at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of the main host city, Nagoya, Oct. 3, 2026. (Yonhap)

Recalling his silver and bronze medal-winning performances at the previous Asian Games, he said he had been disappointed with himself.

"They were both disappointing. At the Hangzhou Games, I was leading the final but lost in a shoot-off," he said. "Ahead of today's final, I tried to think of myself and my arrows and convince myself that I can win if I do as I usually do."

For his long-cherished goal, Lee's teammates Kim Je-deok and Kim Woo-jin also played a role. The three archers teamed up to win the gold medal in the men's team recurve event the previous day.

"I asked Je-deok and Woo-jin to help me for the individual final after the team event. I trained with those world-class archers," said Lee, who was the only South Korean archer to compete in the quarterfinals of the individual event.

The three also won the men's team gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In the final, Lee shot an 8 in the second set after his Japanese opponent hit a 9, leaving him shaken and more tense.

At that moment, he heard a voice shouting from the athletes' seats behind him, "Never mind! Shoot as you do! It was just wind."

"I was so nervous that I couldn't distinguish who it was, but I thought it was one of them," Lee said. "That advice helped me get focused again."

For his gold-medal performance, Lee gave himself 120 points out of 100, up sharply from the 80 points he gave himself three years ago.

"For me, I'll give 120," he said, laughing. "But I'll enjoy this moment until tonight, and I'll work hard again from tomorrow."

South Korea's Lee Woo-seok celebrate his victory after winning the final of the men's individual recurve in archery at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of the main host city, Nagoya, Oct. 3, 2026. (Yonhap)