Joo Hyun-jung
South Korean former world number one Olympic archer.
Joo Hyun-jung, a South Korean archer who once held the world number one ranking, competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In the individual event, she scored 664 points in the ranking round, placing her third overall, nine points behind leader Park Sung-hyun. She defeated Colombia's Sigrid Romero (108–98) in the first round, then beat Natalia Valeeva (110–108) and Bérengère Schuh (109–104) to reach the quarterfinals. There, she lost 106–101 to China's Zhang Juanjuan, the 27th seed, who went on to upset Joo's teammates Park and Yun Ok-hee to win gold. In the team event, Joo joined Park and Yun. Their combined ranking-round scores of 664, 673, and 667 put South Korea first, earning a direct spot in the quarterfinals. They defeated Italy 231–217, setting a new world record, then beat France 213–184 in the semifinals. In the final, South Korea scored 224 points to China's 215, winning the gold medal.
- Born
- 3 May 1982
- Nationality
- South Korean
- Ranking round score 2008
- 664
- Individual seed 2008
- 3
- Team result 2008
- gold medal
- Team world record 2008
- 231
Lore & Background
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Joo Hyun-jung finished her ranking round with 664 points, nine points behind ranking leader Park Sung-hyun, giving her the third seed. In the individual competition, she defeated Sigrid Romero 108–98 in the first round, Natalia Valeeva 110–108 in the second, and Bérengère Schuh 109–104 in the third to reach the quarter-finals. There she faced 27th seed Zhang Juanjuan, the local Chinese favourite, who won 106–101. Zhang went on to upset Joo's South Korean teammates Park and Yun Ok-hee in the semifinal and final to take the gold medal.
In the team event, Joo competed alongside Park Sung-hyun and Yun Ok-hee. Their combined ranking round scores—Joo's 664, Park's 673, and Yun's 667—placed South Korea first, earning a direct seed into the quarter-finals. They defeated Italy 231–217, setting a new World Record of 231 points. In the semifinal against France, South Korea scored 213 to France's 184, securing a final spot. In the final, China scored 215 points, but South Korea won the gold with 224 points.
Reader's Guide
Joo Hyun-jung's performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics highlights her role in South Korea's dominance in archery. As a former world number one, she entered the Games as a top contender, and her individual run ended only against the eventual gold medalist, Zhang Juanjuan, who upset the South Korean team. Joo's contribution to the team event was decisive: her ranking round score helped secure the top seed, and the team's quarter-final score of 231 set a new World Record. The South Korean women's team ultimately won the gold medal, defeating China in the final. Joo's legacy is tied to this team success and her status as a former world number one, reflecting the high standard of South Korean archery on the Olympic stage.
Did You Know?
- Joo Hyun-jung was the third seed for the individual competition at the 2008 Olympics.
- She set a World Record of 231 points with the South Korean team in the quarter-finals.
- Her individual run ended against Zhang Juanjuan, who went on to win the gold medal.
- Joo, Park Sung-hyun, and Yun Ok-hee won the team gold medal with 224 points.
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