RIO DE JANEIRO -- South Koreas women won the Olympic team archery title -- for the eighth time in a row. Jin Jong-oh, meanwhile, took gold in the mens 50-meter pistol in Rio de Janeiro -- for the third straight games.Some in the small Asian country have an easy, long-cherished explanation for the success: The nation is simply better than everyone else at doing the little things, the things that require laser-like concentration on a small, sometimes tedious and hard-to-master skill.But South Koreas domination in some of the smaller Olympic sports can more accurately be linked to a decades-long concentration of time, effort and money, often sponsored by the government, on training and nurturing athletes from a very young age in these specialized sports; this, in turn, has created intense competition among athletes who know that success will win them serious benefits.Still, the perception of an innate national facility for these sports lingers, even among the athletes.The woman seen as partly responsible for the archery boom in South Korea, Kim Jin-ho, won the countrys first archery gold in an international sporting event in 1978. She said she and her teammates always assumed that Koreans had a special level of sensitivity that allowed them to shoot arrows more accurately than their Western rivals.Like much about modern South Korea, its tumultuous modern history plays a part in its supremacy in these sports.Until democracy finally came in the late 1980s, South Korea was ruled by dictators who wanted to use sports as a way to promote a strong national identity and generate loyalty.So the authoritarian government pumped money into programs for athletes who had better chances of winning medals, often in these lesser known sports, rather than building up an overall sports infrastructure for the general public. Those selected athletes trained together at government-run facilities and were awarded benefits such as good pensions and, for the men, exemptions from mandatory military service if they performed well in international competitions like the Olympics.As athletes in those sports succeeded internationally, the sports got more public attention. More popularity meant more steady civilian and business sponsorships. This meant more money, better training facilities and more young athletes taking up and sticking with the sports.That system is still largely in place. Hence the success.I doubt that South Koreans are exclusively gifted with a delicacy of skill that produces real changes in competition, said Roh Hee-tae, a physical education professor at South Koreas Dong-A University.South Korea began seriously investing in archery in the late 1970s, reacting to public excitement created when Kim won.The training and investment have grown tremendously in the years since.Kim, now 55 and a professor with Seouls Korea National Sport University, said South Korean archers today benefit from stronger financial and administrative support and a larger number of state-of-the-art training facilities. She said that South Korean coaches do a better job than their counterparts in other countries at finding the right training methods and motions for each archer based on their physical traits and shooting style.There is growing popular recognition that all athletes, regardless of where theyre from, must focus intensely on the little details to win. Still, the idea of Korean superiority persists.Some of my colleagues joked the other day that if you took a K-pop singer, in her first try she would be able to shoot arrows more accurately than most archers from other countries, said Hong In-he, a 37-year-old office worker in Seoul. South Koreans are better in areas that require accurate and delicate skills.---Kim reported from Seoul. AP writers Hyung-jin Kim and Youkyung Lee in Seoul contributed to this report.---Follow Foster Klug at www.twitter.com/apklug Nick Foles Jaguars Jersey . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Ryquell Armstead Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.authenticjaguarslockroom.com/Youth-Josh-Oliver-Elite-Jersey/ . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Jalen Ramsey Jersey . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. Yannick Ngakoue Jersey . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday.DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers designated reliever Jose Valverde for assignment Friday, less than two months after bringing the veteran right-hander back to the major leagues for another chance to be the teams closer. Valverde went 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA, converting nine saves in 12 chances. The Tigers will likely use Joaquin Benoit in most save situations for the time being. Detroit has 10 days to trade, release or send Valverde outright to the minors. "We have asked him if he would go to Triple-A for us, and try to work with him there, try to get him straightened out," general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "He did not give us an answer on that. It really doesnt make a difference at this point, since we would still have to get waivers at some time. He was open-minded to it. He didnt say no to it, but he needed some time." The Tigers recalled right-hander Al Alburquerque from Triple-A Toledo to replace Valverde in the bullpen. They also put outfielder Matt Tuiasosopo on the disabled list with a strained left ribcage and recalled outfielder Avisail Garcia from Toledo. The 35-year-old Valverde faltered during the 2012 post-season, and the Tigers were prepared to let him leave via free agency. But he didnt sign anywhere else, and Detroit eventually brought him back on a minor league deal. He was called up to the majors in late April and allowed only one run through his first 12 appearances, but has not looked good at all lately. "We think we have a guy that can still close games for us, if we get him fixed," Dombrowski said. "His velocitys been fine. Of course, he hasnt had his (split-fingered fastball) and hes had command problems. The last couple weeks havent been good. Before that, he threw the ball fine, and thats what were hoping that we can get back.dddddddddddd We figure we have nothing to lose to try." Detroit entered the season without much stability at closer when hard-throwing rookie Bruce Rondon failed to win the job during spring training. Benoit is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA and four saves, and Drew Smyly has also pitched well out of the bullpen. "Benoit, when available, healthy and ready to go and rested, will get most of the closing opportunities," manager Jim Leyland said. "And anything else, well mix and match." Octavio Dotel has hardly pitched this year because of right elbow inflammation. Alburquerque was sent down because of control problems, but he has 26 strikeouts in 14 1-3 innings for Detroit, and the Tigers hope he can give the bullpen a lift now. Dombrowski didnt want to look ahead to the possibility of a trade for help. "Were comfortable with this group right now," he said. The Tigers arent the only team that could use some help in relief. In fact, Detroit won Thursday nights game on a ninth-inning homer by Jhonny Peralta off Bostons Andrew Bailey. The Red Sox are now giving Bailey a break from closing. Manager John Farrell said Koji Uehara would be the choice Friday night if a closer were needed. "If you look out there right now, there are not a lot of shut-down, lock-down closers out there -- anywhere," Dombrowski said. "A lot of people have struggled with the back end of their bullpens." Leyland said he hopes Valverde decides to stay in the organization, but he wasnt about to pressure him publicly. "Whichever way he wants to go, I would respect," Leyland said. ' ' '