Defending circuit champs Alvarino, Misun make Medellin finals

Seeded ninth in Medellin, reigning Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion Miguel Alvarino made his way past Frenchmen Thomas Antoine and Pierre Plihon in the second and third rounds of the matchplay brackets. Then, in the fourth, he beat China’s Yu Xing, 6-2 – but it was all just a warm up.

In the quarterfinals, Miguel faced World Archery Champion Kim Woojin.

“I knew it was going to be difficult to beat Kim,” admitted Miguel. “So I shot the best I know how, the best I could – and it went well for me.”

Miguel and Woojin where tied at the end of three sets. Then Miguel shot three 10s, while Woojin posted two 10s and a nine. The Spaniard took a 5-3 advantage, then sealed the match, 7-3, with 29 to Woojin’s last ditch 28.

“I was feeling very comfortable with my shots. In Shanghai I wasn’t feeling as good as here,” explained Miguel.

Kim Woojin, who finished just four points behind Im Dong-Hyun’s world record during qualification, with 695 out of a possible 720 points, was pragmatic about his performance.

“In archery you win and you lose,” said Woojin. “Miguel was better prepared than me for the match. There are things to improve and I will take that back with me for my preparation ahead of Antalya.”

In the final, Miguel shoots against London 2012 Olympic team silver medallist Brady Ellison.

“The final will be difficult but I’ll have my mind ready for it. Nothing is impossible,” Miguel concluded.

The recurve women’s final will see another Archery World Cup Champion, Choi Misun, take on Wu Jiaxin from China, who upset Olympic Champion Ki Bo Bae in the quarters and first seed Tan Ya-Ting in the semis.

Misun didn’t drop a set in her last two wins of the elimination phases, over Japanese Rina Sugibayashi and Italy’s Guendalina Sartori in the quarter- and semifinals, respectively.

“It wasn’t easy, but I was mentally prepared to get through,” said Misun. “I was trying to make my shots as I normally do in practice.”

She will be the only Korean going for individual gold at the second leg of the year’s Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit.

“I feel a bit of pressure but I think my opponent will be more nervous as she’s shooting not against me but against Korea. It always brings extra pressure to shoot against us. I will keep it simple,” said the confident 19-year-old.