Hwa Sook Lee set to compete at her last Paralympics

South Korea’s Hwa Sook Lee is set to compete at her fourth and last Paralympic Games in Rio, where she seeks to add a seventh medal to her Paralympic tally.

Earlier this month, Lee won gold in the mixed team at the Czech Target in Nove Mesto nad Metuji, Czech Republic, alongside two-time Paralympic gold medallist Lee Hong Gu.

Now, she is hoping to retire on a high note.

“In Rio, I want to give my best and win a medal, regardless the colour,” said Lee, who will compete in the individual and mixed team events.

“The Czech Target was my last warm-up event ahead of the Paralympics.

“Thanks to the gold medal, I became quite hopeful ahead of the biggest event of the year.”

Lee achieved qualification for Rio 2016 at South Korea’s Para archery trials.

“It was extremely stressful because one mistake could have made me miss out the chance to compete at my fourth Paralympic Games.”

During a successful career, the 49-year-old won two golds, two silvers and one bronze over three Paralympics between 2004 and 2012.

“Although I won medals at every Paralympic Games, that does not mean it is easy to achieve it,” she said.

“I never forget the individual silver medal at London 2012 because I won it despite suffering some injuries. It was unexpected thus very special for me.”

Lee devotes most of her practices to mental training. “I think that I already reached a certain high level, in terms of techniques,” she said.

“In recent years, I have suffered injuries on my shoulders and arms, which affected my results and my level of confidence. Consequently, I am paying more attention to improve psychological elements such as my concentration.

“The key will be how much I will be able to keep myself calm while shooting each arrow.”

At the same time, Lee keeps an eye on her rivals. “It is hard to say who the toughest opponent is, but Para archers from China, Poland, Iran and Russia are always strong.”

South Korea’s Para archery team will head to Atlanta, Georgia, USA, in August for a final training camp before flying to Rio to compete at the Paralympics.

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Sport fans from around the world can now buy their Paralympic tickets for Rio 2016 from authorised ticket resellers (ATRs)

The IPC’s Global ATR is Jet Set Sports, and Rio 2016 tickets and packages can be purchased on the CoSport website.

Residents of Brazil can buy 2016 Paralympics tickets directly from the Rio 2016 website.

Visa International is the exclusive payment card and the official payment system for the Paralympic Games.