(Asiad) Archer vows to build on confidence gained in debut

OKAZAKI, Japan, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- Compound archer Park Jung-yoon wrapped up her first Asian Games on Thursday, having bagged two medals, a result that she said left her hungry for more.

But Park also added not all was lost from her experience during the Aichi-Nagoya Asiad in central Japan.

"I was really grateful for the opportunity to compete on such a big stage," Park said, following her loss to her Korean teammate Kang Yeon-seo in the bronze medal match for the women's individual event. Park had earlier won the women's team bronze and the mixed team silver Wednesday.

"I have trained so much in settings that resemble archery finals, but the actual competition was a completely different animal," Park added. "But as I kept moving deeper into the competition, I felt myself growing more composed. I think I have gained some confidence that I can do even better at my next international event. I have more faith in myself now."

The 29-year-old said she will try to learn from her struggles with the mental side of the sport Thursday.

"We had a windy day, and I went in thinking to myself I am not usually good in windy conditions," Park said. "I think that kind of mindset worked against me because I became too passive even with a little breeze.

"I should have been able to stay locked in, regardless of the circumstance," she continued. "I could not quite do that today, and I will keep this in mind as I get ready for the next competition. I am only thinking about what I have to do to take the next step."

Park said she would much rather have met Kang in the gold medal match. They were on the opposite sides of the bracket, and an all-Korean duel would have materialized had they both won in the semifinals.

"I told her before we got here today that we are going to meet in the final. I had a good feeling about today," Park said. "I was quite disappointed with the way things played out, but I cannot turn back time. I have to move forward."