Asian medal count set to grow

South Korea could pick up its first gold of the Sydney Games on Tuesday with Kim Soo-Nyung completing her Olympic archery comeback.

Kim returned from seven years of retirement to finish first in qualifying and lead her team to a combined team score world record in Sydney, putting them on target for gold.

Compatriots Kim Nam-Soon and Yun Mi-Jin also reached the last 16 archers and are expected to challenge for medals as well.

Kim Soo-Nyung became a hero in South Korea when she won the individual gold at the 1988 Seoul Games as a 17-year-old.

She added team golds in 1988 and 1992 in Barcelona and an individual silver in 1992 before retiring.

South Korea's women archers were already favourites, having claimed seven gold medals in the past four Olympics.

China's surprising shooting team has more chances to add to a tally of two golds and five overall medals won so far.

In the men's 50-metre pistol final, Wang Yifu is expected to top Igor Basinski of Belarus for the gold, while trap bronze medal winner Gao E is competing in the double trap competition.

Wang has already picked up a silver in the men's 10-metre air pistol competition.

China's women's gymnasts are expected to challenge for a medal but are unlikely to repeat the feat of the Chinese men, who won the team title on Monday for the first time.

But China could walk away with two golds in women's weightlifting, with Chen Xiaomin favoured in the 63 kg division and Lin Weining in 69 kg.

NERVOUS START

After a nervous start, Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat faces a tricky third-round match in men's badminton against Malaysia's Ong Ewe Hock.

"I need to know more about the field because my second opponent will be more difficult," Hidayat said after his win over Japan's Hidetaka Yamada.

Fellow Indonesian Hendrawan faces Pulella Gopichand, the Indian number one, in his third-round match.

The Indians face a difficult match against host Australia in men's hockey. Both easily won their opening matches and a win would move either closer to the medal round.

Hong Kong's Lee Lai-shan has three races on Tuesday to try to pull back together the defence of the windsurfing gold medal she won four years ago, Hong Kong's only medal.

Only one race was run on Monday because of bad weather, and while Lee had moved up to fourth spot from sixth with 20 points the gap with the leaders widened.

There are 11 races in the competition with the results from the worst two thrown out.

South Korea and Japan both have 1-1 records in baseball, but the Koreans face a tough game against double gold medallist Cuba. The Japanese play Australia.

In judo, Japan are looking to add to their two golds, one silver and one bronze, with the highest hopes on world champion Keiko Maeda in the women's 63 kg class.

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