Five gold for Korea

All the categories contested the team gold finals in the Legnica City Park Stadium. All the teams shoot matches with cumulative scoring. The mixed teams shoot 16 arrows (4 ends of 4 arrows) and the (regular) team 24 arrows (4 ends of 6 arrows).   Here is our recap of our live commentaries of the matches.   Recurve Junior Men Team   Gold – Korea (KOR/1) v India (IND/3) In the Korean team, SUNG Wookyeong is the junior team and individual champion from the World Archery Youth Championships Ogden 2009. KIM Joo Wan was cadet team world champion in the USA and KIM Seong Hoon is a newcomer. On the other side, Youth Olympian Atanu DAS is spearheading the Indian team.   The Korean team started strong with 10-9-9-8-9-10 for 55 points. They took a 6-point lead. Despite starting the second end with a 4, they continued with 9-9-10-9-9 to increase their lead at 105-96 halfway through the match.   The Koreans continued with 10-10-9-9-9-7, while DAS/MONDAL/SWANSKI scored 8-10-8-9-8-10. India trailed 149-159.   The Korean team was just too good today. KIM/KIM/SUNG finished with 9-10-9-9-9-10 to clinch the gold medal, 215-200!   Recurve Junior Women Team   Gold – Korea (KOR/1) v Chinese Taipei (TPE/3) It was the second Korea – Chinese Taipei final today and the latter upset the favourites in the recurve cadet men’s team final in the morning.   This time the Koreans adapted better to the windy conditions at the beginning of the match to lead 51-43 and then 100-95.   AN/KIM/LEE scored a nice 9-10-10-8-10-8 for Korea in the third end, and LIN/TAN/YANG could not do anything about it. Korea led 155-143 with six arrows to go. Despite a 5 and a 3 (gusts of winds) in the last end, LEE finished with a 10 and Korea won the gold medal 199-193.   Recurve Junior Mixed Team   Gold – Korea (KOR/1) v Netherlands (NED/3) The Korean favourites did not start so well with 7-6-8-8. Netherlands seemed to take an edge with 9-7-10 but they finished the first end with 3. The score was tied at 29-29.   Korea settled down in the second end with 10-9-9-10 to reach 67 points. The Netherlands could not keep it up with it. They scored 8-9-8-9 to reach 63.   VAN DER VEN/WEGH had a good third end with 9-9-9-10 to reach 100. However KIM/KIM scored 10-10-9-10 to lead 106-100.   KIM Seong Hoon and KIM Minjung dominated the individual qualifications earlier this week. They won their team finals later on! However only the girl KIM Minjung will have a chance for a triple gold in the individual final tomorrow. They cruised to victory with 10-9-10-9, 144-132.   Recurve Cadet Men Team   Gold – Korea (KOR/1) v Chinese Taipei (TPE/7) The No. 7 Chinese Taipei beat the No. 2 India in the quarterfinals 225-217, then the No. 3 Slovenia 211-201 to reach the final this week! They shot against the No. 1 and big favourite Korea. However the Koreans suffered in their semifinal against China, in which they only prevailed 214-212.   The Koreans started well with 8-10-10-9-10-9, but Chinese Taipei answered with 10-9-9-9-8-9. They only trailed 54-56. Moreover they came back strongly in the second end with 10-9-10-10-8-9. Korea only scored 9-8-8-10-8-8 and trailed 107-110! The wind was getting stronger.   PARK appeared in his second final of the day and anchored a Korean team also composed of CHOI and LEE. They tried to come back in the third end with 8-10-9-9-10-9. HSU/KAO/WANG shot 7-9-9-8-9-10 for Chinese Taipei. The score was tied at 162-162!   Everything would be decided in the last six arrows! The wind was still strong. Korea started the last end with 8-9-9 and kept 68 seconds in their clock. Chinese Taipei scored a 9*, a 9 and 10. They had a 2 or 3-point lead and 60 seconds left in their clock. Korea could not finish better than with 8-8-10. Chinese Taipei scored 9, 8 and a 9 to clinch gold! Moreover the 9* turned out to be a 10. HSU/KAO/WANG won 217-214!   Recurve Cadet Women Team   Gold – Korea (KOR/1) v Ukraine (UKR/3) The No. 1 seed Korea broke the world record with 229 points in the quarterfinals during the week. They shot against the No. 3 seed Ukraine.   KANG/RYOO/SHIN did not have an impressive start with 8-9-10-8-9-8 for 52 points. CHORNOHUZ/PAVLOVA/RODIONOVA could have taken the lead at the end of the first end, but they finished with a 7 that put them one point behind (9-8-9-9-9-7 for 51 points).   Korea found their rhythm in the second end with 10-10-10-8-9-9 for 108 points and that was enough to create a strong gap over Ukraine who scored 9-8-7-7-8-10 for 100 points   The Ukrainian fans cheered their team loudly in the third end. CHORNOHUZ/PAVLOVA/RODIONOVA scored 7-9-9-9-9-9 to reach 152 points. However Korea was sovereign with 10-10-9-9-9-10 for 165. Korea won the gold 223-204 at the end!   Recurve Cadet Mixed Team   Gold – Korea (KOR/1) v Russia (RUS/7) PARK Seong Cheol and SHIN Jeong Hwa are two of the youth wonders of the week! They both qualified for three gold finals and SHIN broke none less than five world records during the week! They took on the Russian team of TSYNGUEV/YANBARISOVA.   Korea took an early lead 37-35. Both teams had the same score in the second end, although TSYNGUEV/YANBARISOVA let go their chance to come back by scoring a 6. They had 10-6-9-9, while PARK/SHIN scored 9-9-9-8   Korea built a bigger gap in the third end with 10-10-9-9 for a total of 110, while Russia made 9-8-10-9 to reach 105. The Koreans controlled the last end and PARK/SHIN won their first gold medal, 148-140!   Compound Junior Men Team   Gold – Netherlands (NED/1) v Canada (CAN/7) This match was delayed until the end of the session. A team member of the Netherlands had to go to the hospital for a minor injury this afternoon and would have missed the match, should it have been shot at the regular time. In a great gesture of sportsmanship, the Canadian team accepted to wait until the Dutch team would be complete.   These two teams were loaded with great archers. They were seeded 1 and 2 after the qualifications. Moreover the seeds of each athletes in the individual competition were: SCHLOESSER No. 1, SCHREUDERS No. 7, REMIE No. 12 for Holland; PERKINS No. 2, BROWN No. 18, KUPCHANKO No. 25. Four of these athletes reached the individual quarterfinals and last but not least, PERKINS is the senior individual world champion since last month. He also won a team bronze at the Turin World Archery Championships.   Despite the wait, Canada had the best start with 9-9-10-10-10-9! Netherlands did not start with so much confidence with 7-8-9-9-9-9 and trailed 51-57. However, the Canadians suffered a 6 in the second end (8-10-9-9-6-8). Holland scored 9-10-10-10-8-9 to tie the match 107-107.   Holland started the third quarter with a superb 9-9-10-10-10-9. Canada scored 10-9-10-10-8-10. The match was tied at 164-164!   Holland kept shooting first. REMIE scored a 10, SCHREUDERS a 10 and SCHLOESSER a 10!!! BROWN shot a 10 for Canada, KUPCHANKO a 9 and PERKINS a 10. Team Netherlands led by one point with three arrows to go.   REMIE had a little issue with his equipment and had to reload. He scored a 6*, followed by a 9* and a 10 from his teammates. Then BROWN shot a 9, KUPCHANKO scored a 10. With three seconds left in the clock PERKINS shot a 10 to ensure the victory for Canada! The 6* became a 7 for Holland, but it did not change the outcome. Final score: 222-220, gold medal for Canada!   Compound Junior Women Team   Gold – Mexico (MEX/5) v Russia (RUS/3) ARTEMOVA/CHERKASHNEVA/KOROBEYNIKOVA (RUS) are none less than the exact team that won silver at the World Archery Youth Championships Ogden 2009. Mexico was 3rd in Ogden, but none of their archers returned in the team for Legnica. Seeded only No. 5, GONZALEZ/JUAREZ/QUIROGA nevertheless adapted better to the windy conditions to take the best start. They led 50-46, 104-101   Russia scored 10-7-10-9- 9-10 in the third end, but Mexico answered with 8-10-9-9-9-10 to maintain a 3-point margin, 159-156.   Russia finished with 9-8-9-9-10-8. Not enough to put pressure on GONZALEZ/JUAREZ/QUIROGA who finished with 10-10-10-9-8-9 to become surprising but well deserved world champions, 215-209!   Compound Junior Mixed Team   Gold – Netherlands (NED/1) v United States (USA/2) The Dutch team had two individual No. 1 seeds: Mike SCHLOESSER and Inge VAN CASPEL. The American team was not bad either as Garret ABERNETHY was seeded 3rd and Kendal NICELY 2nd.   It showed at the beginning as both teams started with 9-10-10-10. However the weather conditions worsened as the match went on. ABERNETHY seemed to be the most affected, as he scored 6 and 7 in the second end. NICELY had 10 and 8. On the Dutch side VAN CASPEL had 8 and 8, while SCHLOESSER kept it perfect with 10-10. Netherlands led 75-70.   ABERNETHY was better in the third end with 10-10, while NICELY scored 9-8. Holland however kept it in the gold with 9-10-10-10 to increase its lead at 114-107.   Seven points were too much too overcome in the last end for the USA. They finished with 10-9-10-9. SCHLOESSER/VAN CASPEL scored 10-10-7-10 to clinch the gold medal 151-145!   Compound Cadet Men Team   Gold – United States (USA/1) v Turkey (TUR/7) It was the third final in a row for the USA at beginning of this day of finals and the second one for DEATON. Their Turkish opponents made a more surprising appearance in this final. The USA finished the first end with 10-10-10 to lead 57-54. They built one more point in the gap during the second end, 114-110. Both teams shot great in the third end. Turkey scored 9-10-10-10-10-9 (58), but it was matched by the USA with 9-10-9-10-10-10 (58)!   The No. 7 seed ALICI/DAVARCI/KURUCAN kept shooting well in the last end with 9-9-9-8-10-10, but the No. 1 seeds BUTTON/DEATON/WHITING were sovereign with 9-9-9-9-10-10. Third gold medal of the day for the USA, 228-224!   Compound Cadet Women Team   Gold – Mexico (MEX/1) v United States (USA/2) VILLAFAN for Mexico and FISCHER for the USA were back on the field for their second final in a row. The USA actually beat Mexico in the same final two years ago, at home at World Archery Youth Championships Ogden 2009. The Mexican SALINAS was already in the team at that time, while the last member MADRID is a newcomer. FISCHER could count on MICHAELS and the experienced PEARCE, who won the team and individual gold two years ago.   The USA took on an early lead at 55-52 and 108-106 but Mexico tied at 163-163. The USA started the last end with 9-10-9, while Mexico shot 9-9-9. The USA had a 1-point lead again. Then MICHAELS shot a 9, FISHER had a 10 and PEARCE brought the American score to 220 with a last 10. The Mexicans had to be perfect with their last three arrows to tie the match. They could not: 9-8-10. Another victory for USA 220-217, but the fans of both teams also deserved a gold medal for the loud cheering in the stadium!!   Compound Cadet Mixed Team   Gold – Mexico (MEX/1) v United States (USA/2) MEDINA/VILLAFAN (MEX) versed DEATON/FISCHER for the first ever youth mixed team gold final in Compound Cadet early on Saturday morning. In the schedule it was the first final of the day and it was a very nice match! The USA took a 1-point lead after fours arrows, 38-37 and later on increased it to 78-76. Mexico cut the deficit back to one point after 12 arrows, 115-116. MEDINA/VILLAFAN tried to put pressure in the last end with 9-10-10-10 but DEATON/FISCHER did not shake. They scored 10-10-10 and needed a 9 to win with the last arrow. A 9 it was, first ever youth mixed team gold medal for USA!   All individual finals are played tomorrow.   Didier MIEVILLE World Archery Communication