After upsetting host China 31-23 in the quarterfinal of the Beijing Olympic women's handball tournament on Tuesday, Athens Games runner-up South Korea has pinned the hope on its third Olympic gold medal.
"I still feel regretful to lose the title to Denmark in Athens four years ago. Our aim in Beijing is still the gold medal. Currently, our players are all in a solid form. We will try our best to bring the gold back to our country," said South Korean pivot Huh Soon-young, who received a silver in the Athens Games.
South Korea, who clinched the 1988 and 1992 Olympic gold medals, is the only candidate to break the European dominance again in Beijing. It also finished runner-up in 1984 and 1996 Games.
After finishing the Sydney Olympics empty-handed, the South Korean team lost the Olympic title in the final of 2004 Athens Games, conceding 36-38 to Denmark after two periods of extra time and a penalty shootout. And the team also had to see the retirement of several seasoned key players after the heroic loss.
However, a reloaded South Korea has returned, stunning European powerhouses like Russia and Germany to enter the quarterfinal as the second in Group B. Having surged past host China, South Korea came more closer to achieve its goal.
However, before staging in the final, the determined South Koreans had to conquer European champion Norway first in the semifinal. The Norwegians also snatched a silver in 2007 World Championship and enjoyed an all-win record so far in Beijing.
"Both South Korean and Norwegian teams have players playing in Danish handball league. So we are familiar with the opponents. We will not feel too much pressure when facing Norway," said Huh Soon-young.
(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2008)