At Monday’s final open selection event in Gwangju, South Korean archer An San—the first to capture three gold medals at one Olympics—was unable to secure a spot in the 2024 Paris Games.
Although the 23-year-old finished in the top 16 on the shortlist, he had won gold in the individual, team, and mixed team competitions in the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Even though some athletes have had outstanding outcomes in the past, South Korea has a policy of only choosing the top performers, not include those with low scores.
An had already gained attention in Tokyo when, after cutting her hair short, she was the victim of online harassment. Despite this, An continued to make headlines.
Other big names that did not make the cut were Jang Minhee, who won team gold in Tokyo, and 2016 Olympic champion Ku Bonchan. Eight archers will be named in the women’s squad later this week.
