(Asian Games) Male shooter becomes N. Korea`s first double gold medalist at Asiad

By Yoo Jee-ho
GUANGZHOU, China, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korean male shooter Pak Myong-won
became the country's first double gold medalist of the ongoing Asian Games
Wednesday, grabbing individual and team gold medals in the men's 10-meter running
target mixed event.
Pak, 24, teamed up with Jo Yong-chol and Kim Ji-song to put together 1,141 points
in the team competition to beat China (1,135) and South Korea (1,121). Pak had
the best score among all shooters at 384 points to clinch the individual title.
"I am really glad I was able to make our great general and our people proud," Pak
told Yonhap News Agency, referring to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. "I
almost cried with joy."
When asked if beating South Korea for the team gold medal had any extra
significance, Pak only said he felt everyone from the two countries "are all the
same people" and that "the fact that we remain divided to this day just hit me
harder today."
Ri Sung-il, Pak's coach, told Yonhap that he was proud of his shooters.
"By finishing first, I felt like our shooters all did their job and fulfilled
their responsibilities as shooters," Ri said.
As for competing against South Koreans, Ri said, "We weren't concerned about the
inter-Korean contest. We were only trying to win the gold medal."
North Korea has won five gold medals, three from shooting and two from
weightlifting. The country is coming off its worst Asian Games showing ever at
the 2006 Doha Asiad, where it won six gold medals and finished 16th. It was the
first time the communist country ranked outside the top 10 in the medal
standings.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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