Japan to face Korea for mixed team title in Antalya

Even by the lofty standards set by Korea, it’s been an extraordinary week in Antalya. Korea has an archer or team in every single recurve gold medal match at the second stage of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup – as was the case at stage one, where the team proceded to sweep the top spot on the podium.

Kim Woojin and Chang Hye Jin will face Japan's Furukawa Takaharu and Sugimoto Tomomi for the mixed team gold medal match in Antalya.

Japan edged out Chinese Taipei in the semifinals, but had more trouble with the Indian pair in the quarterfinal, until Atanu Das apparently made a yellow card mistake in the shoot-off; drawing an arrow from the quiver behind the line.

In the end, he got his tiebreak arrow off in the last second, but it was not enough.

Anchor and senior hand Furukawa, also in the men’s team recurve gold final, was upbeat about Japan’s chances: “I’m going to go inside myself and pull everything out that I need to make it happen.”

“I like the challenge, and I’d like Korea to try to beat us on Saturday,” he said.

Chinese Taipei will face home nation Turkey for recurve mixed team bronze. 

The second stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup takes place in Antalya, Turkey on 20-26 May.