World Champion climbs Antalya recurve podium

Both individual gold medal matches featured two Korean archers and the nation’s mixed pair qualified for the mixed team gold final, too. 

Lee Seungyun won the last worlds in Belek back in 2013. His opponent in the Antalya 2015 gold medal match, Kim Woojin, won the 2011 edition of the event in Turin. 

“Usually when I compete against my teammates I’m less nervous,” admitted Seungyun. “But this time, as I knew how strong Kim is, I was pretty nervous.”

Woojin hadn’t looked his normal self through the morning of competition. He had shot a six in the team match and wasn’t completely comfortable in the mixed team event. 

Back on form by the time the day’s headline match rolled around, he lost the first set by a point when his last arrow landed in the red. It was only one of two arrows out of the gold in the entire match. 

The second was split to bring Lee’s lead up to 3-1. 

Then the reigning world champ nailed a perfect 30 to put himself within sniffing distance of the win. He needed just a split set in the last and that is exactly what he got. 

Graciously, Seungyun blamed his win tricky conditions: “I think I was luckier than him. It was windier when he shot.” 

Lee also shot better. 

Olympic Champion Ki Bo Bae, shooting in her first final since 2013, had a chance at a first gold medal in three years ago. 

In 2012, she won both her Olympic title at London 2012 and the Tokyo 2012 Archery World Cup Final. One year later, she peaked at silver and in 2014 she was off the Korean team, instead acting as analyst for national television. 

Before she stepped out of the entrance and onto the competition field, she took a long, deep breath. 

The nerves were obvious. But her first three arrows all hit gold: Triple nine. 

Unfortunately, whether it was the extra match practice in the mixed team final held just a few minutes before or, as Choi said, she practises with Bo Bae so much she could keep her nerves in check, Misun shot better. 

One set win quickly turned into two and the Olympic champ had to pull out a 29 in the third to extend the match. 

In the fourth set, the score at 4-2, the pair traded arrows. 

Ki shot a 10, Choi shot a 10; KI put down a nine, Misun matched it. Last arrow: Bo Bae scored nine and Choi Misun shot a beautiful 10 to secure the set and match. 

Ki Bo Bae will have to wait for at least one more tournament to climb to the top of the podium again. 

Some pressure rested on the shoulders of women’s winner Misun and runner-up Woojin in the mixed team final, shot before the individual matches. Korea had lost both team gold medal match earlier in the day and this was the nation’s last match against an alien opponent. 

Whatever pressure there was soon dissipated in their straight set victory over China. 

The pair started well and finished better. 

Two 39-point sets secured the 6-0 win, with Choi Misun out-shooting her make partner over the back straight. She started with two nines but her last four arrows were all 10s. 

“I have been doing well in mixed team matches – in Shanghai and now here in Antalya – because I’m supported by strong and qualified teammates,” said Woojin, who had pairs gold at the first stage of the year with Kang Chae Young. 

Japan won its second medal of the day when its mixed pair beat Chinese Taipei in a shoot-off to claim bronze.