KANG Chaeyoung

Olympic qualifying results
She secured a spot for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo by finishing in the top three at the national selection trials in the Republic of Korea. (ytn.co.kr, 27 Apr 2021)

Draw length (in)
29 (worldarchery.org, 25 Aug 2019)

Draw weight (lbs)
44 (news.joins.com, 08 Feb 2021)

General
BOUNCING BACK
She says that after she did not manage to secure one of the spots available on the Korean team for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she struggled with the disappointment. "I completely lost confidence. Since I had high expectations for myself, I was feeling pressure. I told my coach at that time that I felt very overwhelmed, insecure and that I was having a hard time mentally." She went on to win individual and team gold at the 2017 World University Games in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei, before claiming individual bronze and team gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. "My coach told me to not think about anything and shoot however I want. After that, I began to improve. When I look back, I think my slump was motivation for me to be better." (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com, 13 Aug 2020)

TEAM PREFERENCE
She says that of the individual, women's team and mixed team events, she prefers competing in the women's team event. "Of the three, I feel more confident in the team event. I would say they all feel similar, but in the team event, the three archers get their minds together to perform as one. So when we perform well, it's really fun." (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com, 13 Aug 2020)

DRAW WEIGHT
She says her draw weight of 44 pounds is strategic. "Female athletes' draw weight is usually around 40-41 pounds. However, I use a heavier bow, because an arrow is not affected by wind in a heavy bow. Therefore I have focused on increasing upper body strength." (news.joins.com, 08 Feb 2021; spotvnews.co.kr, 15 Jan 2020)