Beijing - China's Zhang Juan Juan denied Park Sung-Hyun the honour of becoming the first woman in history to win back-to-back individual and team archery gold medals at an Olympic Games Thursday when she stunned the South Korean 110-109 in the individual final. Korean women had won every single women's archery gold since the event was introduced at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, but in rainy conditions Zhang deserved her win having already dispatched world number one Yun Ok-Hee, also of South Korea, 115-109 in the semi-finals.
Yun had the consolation of prevailing 109-106 over North Korea's Kwon Un Sil in the bronze medal match.
"I held the belief that I would win. It is not the result of just me but all the Chinese archers and the efforts we have made," said Zhang.
Defending individual champion Park admitted she was disappointed to lose but added that she felt Korean archers would in future be able to compete at Olympic Games without the pressure of having to secure gold.
"It would be a lie to say I don't have any regrets from this match but this silver medal will better prepare me for future matches," said Park.
"I feel I may have broken the tradition set by those Korean archers who came before me but maybe now we will all be able to practice in a more relaxed and less pressurised environment."
Park, who together with Joo Hyun-Jung and Yun had secured the team gold on Sunday to go with the one she won in Athens four years ago, started the final against Zhang strongly but eventually paid the price for a couple of loose arrows in mid-match.
Zhang began nervously, scoring eight with her first arrow, while two perfect 10-pointers from Park in her first three arrows saw the 25-year-old hold a two-point lead at the end of the first end.
Two successive eights looked to have handed back the initiative to Zhang but a subsequent 10-pointer still left Park in front by two points at the halfway stage.
However, Zhang turned the screw in the third end, scoring two perfect 10s and a nine to lead by one going into the final end and although Park shot two perfect arrows, Zhang held her nerve, shooting the nine she needed on her final arrow to clinch a one-point win.
