Im Dong-hyun

Lore & Background

Im Dong-hyun was born on 12 May 1986 and competes for the South Korean national team. He has 20/200 vision in his left eye and 20/100 vision in his right eye, meaning he needs to be 10 times closer to see objects clearly with his left eye compared to someone with perfect vision. Despite this, he became a former world number one and set world records in the 72-arrow men's individual ranking round at the 2004 and 2012 Summer Olympics. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, his score of 687 was not recognized by the International Olympic Committee as an Olympic record because the ranking round took place before the opening ceremony. He advanced to the quarterfinals, where he lost 111–110 to Hiroshi Yamamoto, the eventual silver medalist, finishing 6th overall. He also won a gold medal with the South Korean men's team that year. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he finished the ranking round with 670 points, was seeded eighth, and won his first two matches before being eliminated by Vic Wunderle in the third round. He again won gold with the South Korean team. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he set a new world record of 699 in the ranking round, beating compatriot Kim Bub-min by one point, but was eliminated in the round of 16 by Rick van der Ven. He won a bronze medal with the South Korean team. In 2006, he won two gold medals at the Asian Games, in the individual and team events.

Reader's Guide

Im Dong-hyun's career is defined by his remarkable achievements despite severe visual impairment. His world records in the ranking round at the 2004 and 2012 Olympics demonstrate exceptional precision and consistency, even as his individual elimination results varied—he reached the quarterfinals in 2004, the third round in 2008, and the round of 16 in 2012. His team contributions were consistently strong, earning gold medals in 2004 and 2008 and a bronze in 2012. The dispute over the 2004 ranking round record—not recognized as an Olympic record due to timing—highlights the technicalities of record-keeping. His 2012 world record of 699 stands as a peak performance. His legacy includes being a former world number one and a key member of dominant South Korean teams, while his personal story of competing with 20/200 and 20/100 vision underscores the role of mental focus and technique over physical sight in archery.

Did You Know?

• He set a world record of 687 in the 2004 Olympic ranking round, but it was not recognized as an Olympic record because it occurred before the opening ceremony.
• He won gold medals with the South Korean team at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, and a bronze in 2012.