Olympic Champion Chang wins gold; qualifies for Rome

Recurve women’s Olympic Champion Chang Hye Jin won gold at stage three of the 2017 Hyundai Archery World Cup, beating Tan Ya-Ting in four sets, closing with a perfect 30 and qualifying for the World Cup Final in the process.

“I did well here in Salt Lake City. In the qualification, I was first out of all the women and the men. It was a good start and then it ended with me in  the final,” said Chang. “Now I have it [the gold medal| here with me, so I’m really satisfied.”

“I’m more than happy with [qualifying to the Final in Rome]. It will be my first World Cup Final and I’m looking forward to it. I hope I can win and get the Longines watch there, because I’ve never won one before.”

The Rio 2016 winner opened with two sets of 28 points to go 3-1 up in the Salt Lake final, shot a 29-point set in the third against her opponent’s 27, then closed with a perfect 30 to win the match, 7-1.

Hye Jin, who was the highest-scoring recurve qualifier in Salt Lake – man or woman – nearly broke a world record to start the tournament.

The Salt Lake title is the 30-year-old’s first major gold medal since winning the Olympic Games, having finished second to teammate Ki Bo Bae at stage one of the international tour in Shanghai, China.

Those two results, combined, put the world number one to the top of the World Cup rankings with enough points to be confirmed as the first recurve women qualified for the 2017 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Rome, Italy at the start of September.

Chang also won silver in the women’s team event and gold in the mixed team with Im Dong Hyun.

Choi Misun beat Alicia Marin to the recurve women’s bronze medal in Salt Lake.

The third stage of the 2017 Hyundai Archery World Cup runs 20 to 25 June in Salt Lake City, USA.