The South Korean archery team at the Olympics were the victims of a rogue bee who attempted to thwart their efforts.
I'm no athlete, but I can only imagine how many years of dedication it takes to become one of the elites in your chosen sport.
Thousands of hours of hard work mixed with blood, sweat, and tears to ensure that you’re at your physical and mental peak for when the Olympic games begin.
All of the sacrifices made along the way… all to be the victim of a bee during the moment you’ve been waiting for.
It’s a cruel world.
A video is currently circulating on TikTok which appears to show South Korean archer Lim Sihyeon being interrupted by the bee as she went to release the arrow.
Just before the arrow was let loose, the bee landed on her hand in a moment that would have many recoiling in horror.
“Can you imagine training your whole life for this moment and this happens,” one person wrote, with a second adding: “The bee was a paid saboteur.”
Bizarrely, this wasn’t an isolated incident as the South Korean archery team was once again harrassed by another bee.
A particularly pesky bee tried to disrupt South Korean archer Kim Je-deok, but the athlete demonstrated remarkable composure with the insect dangerously close to his bow hand just moments before he released his shot.
“As I approached the shooting line, a bee appeared,” Kim Je-deok explained during a press interview on Monday, via The Korea Herald. “I shooed it away but it followed me. When it landed on my hand, I reminded myself, ‘This is the Olympics,’ and I couldn’t lower my arms. I had a strong determination to shoot.”
The bee distraction occurred during the semifinal against China. While the first set ended in a tie at 54 points each, South Korea rebounded in the second set, scoring 57 to China’s 53.
The third set was crucial, as a victory would secure South Korea’s spot in the final. With the score at 36-53 and only two arrows remaining, Kim stepped up to the line.
As he prepared to shoot, a bee began buzzing around him. Initially, he tried to wave it away and continued his routine, but the bee returned to land on his right hand.
An Olympic heart rate monitor showed Kim's pulse remained steady at around 80 beats per minute, a typical resting heart rate for an adult.
Teammate Kim Woo-jin followed with another 10, sealing South Korea’s spot in the final. The Korean archers eventually won the gold medal, marking their third consecutive Olympic victory.
Why are the French bees so keen on disrupting the South Korean archers?
