Korean hegemony goes on

Scores were tied in the 12-arrow shootout going into the last shot and it was more experienced Park who held her nerve to produce the perfect shot for a maximum 10-point score.

"I wasn't particularly nervous. I held my breath and shot like I do every shot," Park said.

Lee, only 19 and competing at her first Games, could only manage an eight-pointer with her final arrow.

Defending champion Yun Mi-jin of South Korea had gone out in a major upset in the quarter-finals and Chinese contender He Ying crashed out on a red card at the same stage, letting Britain's Alison Williamson through to take bronze.

Park, the 2001 world champion, trailed at the halfway stage of the final but fired three bullseyes with her last four shots.

"I wasn't sure if this was real or a dream until I saw you reporters," she said afterwards.

In the bronze medal match at the 19th-century Panathinaiko Stadium, the marble amphitheatre where the modern Games were revived in 1896, Williamson beat Taiwan's Yuan Shu-chi 105-104.

Shooting between ancient busts of Greek gods, including one of Hermes the wing-footed messenger of Olympus, team mates Park and Lee embraced each other after their tense match.

"I am privileged to get my medal in this historic city and site," said Park, who put her country's domination of the ancient sport down to excellent coaches and facilities in Korea.

In the past two decades, South Korea's women have won Olympic gold in every archery event they have ever contested, making them one of the Games' greatest dynasties.

World champion Yun's surprise quarter-final defeat by Yuan prevented a repeat of the clean sweep of the medals which the Koreans achieved four years ago in Sydney. In an earlier round, Yun had equalled her own Olympic record of 173 from 18 arrows.

Since first competing at the Games in 1984, the Korean women have won all 10 individual and team gold medals up for grabs -- a feat unmatched in any other sport.

In contrast to the first two days' of competition when strong winds hampered the competition, the final was shot in near perfect conditions.

Park performed consistently on Wednesday, scoring the three best totals of any archer from the quarter-final stage.

Officials turned a deaf ear to Chinese complaints after He, individual silver medallist at Atlanta in 1996, was shown a red card in her quarter-final against Williamson.

For shooting out of turn with her ninth arrow, He had her highest scoring shot, a 10, deducted. She then failed to take her 10th shot in time while her coach was embroiled in a heated exchange with officials. She left the stadium in tears.