South Korea has taken three of the past five men's team Olympic titles and is expected to be the team to beat on Monday at the archery field.
South Korea led the men's ranking round on Saturday with 2,015 points, 18 better than the second placed Ukraine. They has the winner of the individual title at the Leipzig 2007 world championships, Im Dong-Hyun. Joining Im is Park Kyung-Mo, who won the individual event at the Antalya 1993 world championships and the 2006 World Cup final.
IM and Park were on the South Korean team at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, who were ranked in eighth and fourth places individually in the ranking round.
The South Koreans had brought home both the Sydney's and Athens' titles and are aiming for a hat-trick in the men's team.
Possible challengers are Ukraine, Britain and Malaysia. Ukraine took Bronze at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. They were second in the preliminary ranking. Viktor Ruban, one of the four archers to qualify at the Lausanne 2008 archery World Cup final, is leading Ukraine's team. Ruban and Markiyan Ivashko were at the Athens 2004 Olympics.
Britain is expected to be on the podium in Beijing, having won the Silver medal at the 2007 world championships.
Simon Terry, winner of the individual and team bronze medal for Britain at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics, is expected to play a major role for the British team. Britain was in fifth in ranking round.
Chinese Taipei, winners of the team bronze at the 2007 world championships, also poses a threat.
(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2008)