(Reuters) – South Korea’s An San, the first archer to win three gold medals at a single Olympics, did not qualify for the 2024 Paris Games after the final open selection event in Gwangju on Monday.
An San had achieved gold in the individual, team, and mixed team events at the Tokyo Games in 2021, but despite her previous success, the 23-year-old did not make the cut of the top 16 shortlisted athletes. South Korea has a policy of selecting only the highest-performing athletes, regardless of past accomplishments.
In addition to her athletic achievements, An San gained attention in Tokyo when she faced online bullying for her hairstyle after cutting it short. However, this did not deter her from making history as the first South Korean to secure three gold medals at a single Olympic games.
Among the notable athletes who also failed to qualify were Jang Minhee, a team gold medalist in Tokyo, and Ku Bonchan, the 2016 Olympic champion. The women’s squad will consist of eight archers to be announced later this week.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
