Im Dong Hyun - Korea

The youngest member of Korea’s outstanding trio, Im Dong Hyun, 18, will make his Olympic debut in Athens.

The terrific teenager has comfortably handled the rise in class from juniors to seniors. His two medals at the 2003 world championships in New York in July, followed quickly by wins in the individual and team competitions at the Olympic Test Event in Athens the following month, means he will be one of the favourites in the individual event.

At the 2003 worlds, Im won the team title and won the silver medal in the individual event, losing the final 113-112 to Italy’s Michele Frangilli.

Other accolades have included a silver medal in the individual event and gold in the team event at the 2002 world junior championships, and a bronze medal in the individual event and gold in the team event at the 2002 Asian Games.

Tall for an archer at 182cm, the right-hander from Chungbuk started competing in the sport after watching archery on television during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Now, one of those archers he first saw on TV, Jang Yong-Ho, will be his team-mate in Athens. Im’s only international appearance this year was at the German Grand Prix in Whyl in June. He placed eleventh in the individual event and won a silver medal in the team event.