Who is Im Dong-Hyun? All you need to know about the 'legally blind' archer who has won two Olympic Golds
Im Dong-Hyun is a two-time gold medal winner in the Olympics for South Korea. Im, the former number, gained international acclaim in Archery for his achievements. He is known for his 20/200 vision in his left eye and 20/100 vision in his right eye, making him a 'legally blind' archer from South Korea.
Despite all the odds being against him, Im Dong-Hyun had the will and determination to reach the pinnacle of Archery. He first made headlines in 2004 at the Athens Olympics. He was part of the team that won the gold medal in the Men’s archery team.
His peak came in 2006 during the 2006 Asian Games. Im won two gold medals in the individual and South Korean teams. During the 2012 Summer Olympics, Im Dong-hyun set a world record with a score of 699 in the ranking rounds. He defeated his teammate Kim Bub-min by one point.
That year, he was eliminated in the round of 16, and that was a huge blow for the team. He lost to losing 7–1 to Rick van der Ven in the round of 16. His team won the bronze medal at the end of the competition.
Im Dong-Hyun to be the Head Coach of Korea men's archery team at the Paris Olympics 2024
Archery is one of the oldest competitions when it comes to the Olympics. South Korea has always been the master of the competition, and this year, again, they will have six contestants in the Men’s and Women’s divisions. After months of trials, South Korea has finalized six names for the Paris Olympics.
Kim Woojin, Kim Je Deok, and Lee Wooseok will be part of the Men’s lineup. the trio will be under the guidance of Im Dong-Hyun - the golden boy of archery in South Korea. He announced his retirement in 2021. For the Summer Olympics 2024, Im emerged as the best candidate to coach the Men's team.
South Korea is known for its rigorous selection process in archery. The participants must go through 1000s of arrows to qualify for the big stage. There is no window of mediocrity in South Korea for the Archery division. It is for the same reason that the Korean women’s division has won every single event since the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.