(Universiade) Olympic archery champion feels home pressure

By Park Sojung

GWANGJU, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Archer Ki Bo-bae, one of South Korea's few Olympic title-holders to compete at the upcoming Summer Universiade, said Wednesday she has lowered her expectations since failing to make the 2014 Asian Games.

Ki has two gold medals from the 2012 Olympics, but failed to make it past the national team trials for last year's Asiad.

The 27-year-old returned with a vengeance this year and finished in first place at the national team trials for the Universiade, which kicks off this Friday at her hometown of Gwangju, some 330 kilometers south of Seoul.

Being in Gwangju, however, hasn't made things easier. If anything, Ki said, it has raised the stakes even higher.

"It's overwhelming that the games are taking place in my hometown," Ki, who is one of the event's honorary ambassadors, said while training at the Yeomju Seo Hyang Soon Archery Center. "It's strange to be training alongside so many foreigners at a field I'd been to so often."

The international competition is reserved for students and recent graduates between the ages of 17 and 28.

Two other South Koreans -- Choi Mi-sun and Kang Chae-young, both 19 -- will also bear the South Korean flag for the women's recurve archery at what will be Ki's last Universiade.

"Both Choi and Kang have amazing stamina," Ki said. "But what's important is that we play off each other's strengths to win a team gold."

The women's individual recurve qualification starts on Saturday, with the final slated for next Wednesday.

sojungpark@yna.co.kr
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