A final-arrow shoot-off bull's-eye from Hiroki Muto on Monday delivered a bronze for Japan in men's team archery, the country's first medal in the event at the Olympic Games.
Japan beat the Netherlands to bronze by a 5-4 scoreline at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field, overcoming a two-point deficit going into the fourth set to force the shoot-off.
The 24-year-old Muto showed steely nerves when it mattered, finding the dead-center of the target after his teammates, Takaharu Furukawa and Yuki Kawata, had both shot 9-point arrows in the first two shots of the decider.
The Dutch also shot two 9-pointers and a 10 in the shoot-off, but Muto's final arrow was closer to the center of the target, bagging the medal for the host nation.
"(The medal) is heavy, but my heart feels like it's bouncing," said the 36-year-old Furukawa, who won individual silver at the 2012 London Olympics. "I'm so happy the three of us were able to win Japan's first medal in the men's team in Tokyo, at a games held under these conditions. I've always wanted a team medal."
Archery superpower South Korea dominated Taiwan in the gold medal match, winning 6-0.
