Chang to face Perova in World Championship rematch

Olympic Champion Chang Hye Jin and Russia’s Ksenia Perova will shoot for the recurve women’s gold medal at the second stage of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya, Turkey, just seven months after Perova beat the Korean athlete to the world title in Mexico City.

“I saw [Perova] moving through the matches, and was thinking that I might meet her again,” said Chang. “I lost last year.”

“And this time, I want to win.” 

Antalya will mark only the second time the two experienced internationals will have faced each other in matchplay.

Hye Jin returned from stage one of the circuit in Shanghai with three gold medals and in imperious form, but the second-seeded woman at this event needed a shoot-off to slip past Japan’s Kaori Kawanaka in the quarterfinals. 

“I was probably thinking about the wind a little too much.” Chang said afterwards. “So there were some uncomfortable matches.”

Reigning World Archery Champion Perova beat new world record holder and top seed Kang Chae Young on her relentless drive through the brackets. She will also defend the Antalya title she won in 2017 – which was her first major individual victory prior to Mexico.

Lee Eun Gyeong and Lei Chien-Ying will contest recurve women’s bronze.

There were few upsets in the men’s competition as three of the four Korean men advanced to the final four.

World number one and Shanghai victor Kim Woojin was on cruise control, shooting not a single set of less than 28 points to make his second gold medal match on the Hyundai Archery World Cup tour in a row.

He’ll face teammate and senior rookie Lee Woo Seok for gold.

“Winning is important for me, yes, but it doesn’t matter whether I have gold or silver. What matters is me shooting right and making tight groups,” said 20-year-old Lee, who won the last Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014. 

Perennial dangerman Khairul Anuar Mohamad of Malaysia, a veteran of the world stage, beat Sjef Van Den Berg to make the last four. He’ll face Oh Jin Hyek for recurve men’s bronze.

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