Round-up: Republic of Korea dominate at Lord's

Despite a couple of mis-steps along the way, they eventually achieved both.

Heading into the Games, the Republic of Korea team topped the all-time medal table with 30 appearances on the podium since the standardised competition returned to the schedule in 1972.

While there was an obvious mandate to expand on that haul, one medal beyond all others was required this time - the men's Individual gold.

Two silvers and two bronzes were the best they had previously managed, despite winning the men's Team event at Beijing 2008, Athens 2004, Sydney 2000 and Seoul 1988.

The final standings this time show that the Koreans left with a total of three golds and a bronze from the four events, including the elusive men's title for Oh Jin-hyek.

Taking place at the historic cricket venue of Lord's, Archery was one of the first Olympic Games sports to get under way as the 72-arrow ranking round took place on 27 July, the morning of the Opening Ceremony.

Oh's compatriot Im Dong-hyun, the world number two, duly delivered the first world record of the Games.

He beat his own previous mark by three points to post 699 from a possible 720, with team-mates Kim Bubmin and Oh placing second and third in the seedings.

The men's Team event was next up on 28 July, with Im, Kim and Oh clear favourites.

But they had to settle for bronze as Italy took a surprise gold.

The trio of Michele Frangilli, Marco Galiazzo and Mauro Nespoli were placed sixth after the ranking shoot but came past Chinese Taipei and China before beating the well-fancied USA in the final.

After an evenly-matched 24-arrow contest, Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games champion Frangilli was left needing a 10 for victory with the last shot of the match. He duly picked out the centre gold.

Republic of Korea, beaten in their last-four meeting with the USA, took the consolation win over Mexico in the bronze medal match.

The women's teams were up next and this time Republic of Korea did take gold, continuing a remarkable record of seven consecutive Olympic Games titles.

Just as they were at Beijing 2008, China were the beaten finalists as Lee Sung-jin, Ki Bo Bae and Choi Hyeonju defeated Chinese trio Cheng Ming, Fang Yuting and Xu Jing 210-209 on the last arrow.

Conditions were wet and windy, though not as bad as those which prevailed four years ago, and Ki held her nerve to take victory with a closing nine.

Japanese trio Ren Hayakawa, Miki Kanie and Kaori Kawanaka claimed their country's first-ever women's Archery medal, defeating Russia by two points in the bronze match.

The Individual competitions threw up a series of surprise results.

In the women's draw, world number one Deepika Kumari and reigning world champion Denisse van Lamoen were both sent out in the first round, but it was no shock to see Ki take her second gold.

Her final against Mexico's Aida Roman went to a one-arrow shoot-off, with Ki winning despite drawing first and finding the eight ring.

Mexico had never won an Archery medal before arriving in London but left with two as Roman's silver was complimented by bronze for team-mate Mariana Avitia, who beat five-time Olympian Khatuna Lorig of the USA into third place.

There were echoes of Kumari's exit in the men's round, with men's number one Brady Ellison falling at the hands of Australia's Taylor Worth, and disbelief when Im lost 7-1 to European champion Rick van der Ven.

When Kim was knocked out 6-5 by eventual bronze medallist Dai Xiaoxiang, Korea feared the men's title had once again eluded them. But third-seed Oh kept his composure to reach the final, where he beat Japan's Takaharu Furukawa 7-1 to succeed where so many of his predecessors had faltered.