An San, three-time Olympic archery champ, misses South Korean team for Paris
South Korea's An San will not defend any of her three Olympic archery titles from Tokyo at the Paris Games.
An, 23, was eliminated at the halfway point of a trials competition in 21st place in Gwangju on Monday, according to World Archery.
Three archers per gender will ultimately make the team for the sport's dominant nation.
South Korean archers won nine of the last 10 Olympic titles in the women's individual event, all nine Olympic titles in the women's team event, two of the last three Olympic titles in the men's individual event and five of the last six men's team titles.
South Korea also won the Olympic debut of a mixed-gender team event in Tokyo.
An participated in all three events in her Olympic debut to become the first archer to win three golds at a single Games.
Two months later, An took bronze at the 2021 World Championships after being beaten by American Casey Kaufhold in the semifinals.
Kaufhold beat An again at the 2023 Worlds, where all three South Korean women lost in the quarterfinals. South Korea also lost in the round of 16 in the women's team event, marking the first time its women won zero medals at a worlds since the nation began participating in 1979.
Kaufhold, 20, is ranked No. 1 in the world, the first American woman to reach the top spot since the rankings began in 2001. An ranks 10th, and fourth among South Koreans.
The final stages of the U.S. Olympic archery trials are in May in Newberry, Florida.
