World indoor champion Germany into arena at second consecutive stage

Germany’s resurgent recurve women’s team beat the number two seeds Chinese Taipei to make the gold medal match in Antalya – going one phase better than the last stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup, where they shot for bronze and finished fourth.

It was a rare triumph for a European nation on a day dominated by the big Asian powerhouses. 

“Yes, it’s been a perfect day today. We’re in the gold medal match and it doesn’t get better than that,” said Elena Richter

The German women won by delivering an emphatic 29-point shoot-off against the normally dominant Taipei team, whose shooting level dropped significantly as the day wore on. 

“We made the bronze match in Shanghai, so this is one better. We didn’t change anything at all, we just talked afterwards, made it clearer, made sure everybody had what they needed, and that was it,” added Richter.

The German women fielded the same team – Richter, Lisa Unruh and Michelle Kroppen – that won the indoor world title in Yankton in February. 

“Now that we’re here in the gold final, anything is possible. We’ve got a medal, so we can just go there and have fun,” said Richter.

Korea enjoyed another event with both recurve men’s and women’s teams into the gold medal matches – although the Korean men had to survive a tiebreaker against a on-form Malaysia.

Kim Woojin was characteristically unruffled about his and the team’s performances: “Yes, overall it’s been a good day. I don’t know how many days I’ll have like today as an athlete but whenever a day like today comes around, I’m always happy.” 

The men’s team will face Japan in the final, in a repeat of the Shanghai match-up, which the Koreans won.

“I’m doing okay but since it’s a finals match and I’m really familiar with the archers I’ll be shooting against, I guess I just have to match levels with them and I think I’ll be okay,” said Kim. 

Despite shooting one of the highest ranking round scores in history (697/720) earlier in the competition week, making it to the individual gold medal match and anchoring the Korean team to yet another gold match, Woojin – amazingly – hinted that the best may be yet to come. 

“I think at this competition, I had good balance in my shot. I didn’t have any big mistakes so I think I was able to just shoot well,” he said.

“I’ve been working hard at competing up until now and I still have a long way to go. I don’t think this is my best yet.” 

Great Britain’s recurve men won a shoot-off against Spain and took Japan to four sets, before losing 6-2 to the seventh seeds.

They will shoot against an impressive Malaysia for the bronze medal. India, who had a strong if not spectacular day across their teams will shoot against Chinese Taipei for the recurve women’s team bronze medal. 

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

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