Chinese Taipei takes four recurve medals in Shanghai

Chinese Taipei lived up to their top billing in the team events on recurve Sunday by defeating a India to win gold in blazing sunshine on the Lujiazui Village Green. 

Both the men’s and women’s teams have been a consistent threat on the international stage for some time, and the women turned heads by beating the senior Korean team on their home turf at the Universiade last year.  

Despite only qualifying seventh, the team moved through the brackets, defeating Mexico, Korea and Russia on the way.

After a testy pair of sets from both teams, the Indian threat dissipated with Laxmirani Mahji shooting a five in the third end. Chinese Taipei responded with a 57 and a final end of 58, drilling home the point with four straight 10s to finish. 

The team’s focus is still locked on performing in Antalya - they currently only have a single women’s place for Rio, secured in Copenhagen by Lin Shih-Chia, and were firm about what this victory in Shanghai meant.

“The goal is to get the full complement for Rio in Antalya,” Le Chien-Ying. “We’ll just be doing the same training as usual. We’re really happy to have won, but we’re trying not to think too much about medals or anything else!”

Tan Ya-Ting couldn’t make it double gold in the individual final.

She opened with a 30, but was then out-scored by her Korean debutant opponent, Ju Hyebhin, in each of the following two sets. A linecutter was needed in the last to make it official for the young Korean, and she got the call she needed for a 6-2 win.

Tan, with Wei Chun-Heng had another chance in the mixed team gold medal match but fell short to the USA in three sets, 5-1.

Either way, Tan Ya-Ting did start the Hyundai Archery World Cup season with three medals, one gold and two silvers, in the opening tournament.

A fourth and final medal, bronze, did come courtesy of Wei’s impressive performance against Mexico’s Ernesto Boardman. He finished the match in style, with a perfect 30, to secure Chinese Taipei’s last podium of the day.