China adds 3rd Paralympic archery gold

Chinese athletes Zhou Jiamin and Lin Yueshan contested the compound women’s open gold medal match at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Both scored 138 points, then Zhou won the shoot-off, nine to seven.

“I am very happy. I was also very happy that my teammate won silver. We are very close friends and that we both medalled, I am happy,” she said.

Zhou was seeded top after the ranking round. She shot the two highest matchplay scores on the field, both 144, early in the brackets, and wasn’t challenged until the final. She added the individual gold to a mixed team Paralympic title won earlier in the week.

“My mother, we were on the telephone and she said: ‘daughter, you must go and win another gold medal’,” added Zhou. “So I felt a little bit pressure, but I’m okay!”

Sixth-ranked Lin took advantage of a miss from second seed Somayeh Abbaspour, from Iran, in the semifinals, to set-up the all-China gold medal match – and ultimately secure the silver medal.

“My parents will be most proud. I left them a message,” said Lin.

Abbaspour was upset again in the bronze final.

Two points up after nine arrows, her opponent, Korea’s Kim Mi Soon, shot a perfect 30 in the fourth end, flipping the advantage. Kim closed better and took the last spot on the podium.

China became the first nation to bag three gold medals in the Rio 2016 Paralympic archery event, with three events left to be decided.

The para archery competition at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games runs 10-17 September in the Sambodromo.