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Youngsters Tang and Hsu reach recurve final fours in Madrid

11 July 2025

Madrid, Spain

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Tang Chih-Chun shooting in Madrid 2025 elliminations.

Chinese Taipei’s young recurve archers shone on Friday as Tang Chih-Chun and Hsu Hsin-tzu reached their first final fours at Madrid 2025 – the fourth and final stage of this year’s Hyundai Archery World Cup.

Tang, 24, defeated home favourite Andres Temiño Mediel – who was vocally supported by the Spanish crowd – 6-2 in the recurve men’s event, while Hsu, just 17, overcame France’s Amélie Cordeau 7-1 in the women’s.

Neither faced a pre-tournament favourite on the path to the semis, as major contenders – including reigning Olympic Champions Kim Woojin, Lim Sihyeon (both from Paris 2024) and Mete Gazoz (Tokyo 2020) – were all upset in early rounds.

Still, a final four is a final four – and with gusty winds making conditions tricky for many of the 128 archers on the field, Tang and Hsu stood among the few who managed them best.

“Since my first World Cup, the goal for my coach and I is to reach the podium,” said Tang, who had never advanced past the quarterfinals at a World Cup before Friday. “I’m very excited. It’s an honour to stand together Olympic gold medallists like [Kim Woojin] and many other outstanding archers.”

“I just kept telling myself that it’s [wind] not a problem for me, to focus. Also, it can make me more confident if I lie to myself.”

Wind had been relatively calm earlier in the week, but Friday brought stronger gusts to Vallehermoso Stadium. Archers were often forced to reset mid-draw and wait for conditions to ease before releasing their shots.

It was a choice: trust your shot through the wind – or wait for the perfect moment.

Hsu, who won team bronze in Central Florida earlier this year, chose the latter. At just 17, her patience and composure under pressure were remarkable.

One errant end would have been understandable – an early exit still a valuable learning experience. But instead, she delivered a composed and consistent performance: 27, 29, 24, 27.

Cordeau, her 19-year-old opponent, only hit the 10-ring once and closed with a wide two – a sharp contrast to her earlier 6-4 upset over world number two Casey Kaufhold in the 1/32 round.

“I had to adjust and check the situation very quickly,” Hsu explained. “I tried to shoot in between the wind and catch the best moment I could.”

With Tang and Hsu both into the final four, Chinese Taipei could be poised for a big weekend in Madrid. The compound women’s team is shooting for gold, and Tang will also compete in Sunday’s recurve mixed team bronze final.

In the recurve men’s bracket, Tang faces Baptiste Addis – the Frenchman appearing in his third consecutive World Cup final four – while Mexico’s Matias Grande meets Korea’s Kim Je Deok.

In the women’s semis, Hsu is up against Olympic mixed team silver medallist Michelle Kroppen. The other match features defending reigning Archery World Cup Champion Li Jiaman and two-time circuit winner Kang Chaeyoung.

Competition in Madrid continues with compound finals on Saturday.