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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 12: Brady Ellison of the United States celebrates winning a bronze medal in the Men’s Individual Round on Day 7 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Sambodromo on August 12, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 12: Brady Ellison of the United States celebrates winning a bronze medal in the Men’s Individual Round on Day 7 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Sambodromo on August 12, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
The Tokyo Olympics 2021 is almost around the corner and the Olympic fans are eagerly waiting for their favorites to compete. The Olympic medalists, world champions, record holders are going to face each other at the mega-quadrennial games.
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The archery sport has been a constant part of the Summer Olympics since 1972. South Korea undoubtedly dominates the sport with 39 medals. USA follows at the second position with 34 medals.
Men athletes to look out in archery at Tokyo Olympics 2021
The list of top archers includes archery powerhouses in South Korea and the USA. Here are the athletes who have the most realistic shot at podium finishes this year.
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USA’s Brady Ellison is entering the Olympics as the world’s number one. Ellison is also a three-time Olympic medalist. 32-year-old will compete in the men’s individual and men’s team event.
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 12: Brady Ellison of the United States competes in the Men’s Individual round of 8 Elimination Round on Day 7 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Sambodromo on August 12, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
With such a formidable career, Brad is the favorite to clinch the Olympic medal. However, Rio Olympics 2016 men’s team event gold medalist South Korea’s Kim Woo-jin will be a tough competition for Brady. Another shooter with the optimistic chance of breaking Elision’s record is France’s Lisa Barbelin.
The list, however, doesn’t end there, some other notable strong competitors are Italy’s Mauro Nespoli (Italy), and Bangladesh’s Ruman Shana.
Women athletes to look out for
In the women’s archery event South Korea has always been dominant. However, because of the pandemic, South Korea did not compete in a lot of championships, hence are not in the top rankings.
Chinese Taipei’s athlete Lei Chen-ring is entering Tokyo Olympics after clinching world titles in 2019. She even won the Olympic bronze medal in the women’s team event.
However, she will face some strong competition from top archers like South Korea’s Kang Chae-young, Germany’s Lisa Unruh, and India’s Deepika Kumari.
In the team events, South Korean women have been the gold winner for 8 consecutive years. The trio of South Korean women will again defend their title in Tokyo.
The archery mixed event is a new addition to the Olympic program. It will be interesting to watch if South Korea will dominate this event or any other team will win over them?
Read More: Who Won the Women?s Archery Event in Rio Olympics 2016
