South Korea sweeps recurve golds at Shanghai Archery World Cup

SHANGHAI, May 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korea completed a dominant sweep of all five recurve titles at the Archery World Cup Shanghai stop, the second stage of the 2025 season, on Sunday, while host China claimed two silver medals in team events.

In the recurve men's team final, the Korean trio of Lee Woo-seok, Kim Je-deok, and Kim Woo-jin delivered a flawless first set with a perfect 60-point score, overpowering France 6-0. The United States took bronze with a 5-3 win over India.

The recurve women's team final featured a clash between South Korea and China. Despite an uncharacteristic 7 in the third set from the Koreans, young Chinese archers Zhu Jingyi and Huang Yuwei struggled under pressure, allowing the reigning Olympic champions to seal a 6-2 victory. Chinese Taipei claimed bronze by defeating Mexico 5-1.

South Korea continued its supremacy in the mixed team event, with Olympic champions Kim Woo-jin and Lim Si-hyeon overpowering China's Wang Yan and Li Jiaman 6-2. Türkiye secured the bronze medal.

"These young athletes experienced their first international final showdown against Korean archers," said Chinese coach Kwon Yong-hak. "They were angry after the match - I told them they should feel that way. This unyielding attitude is crucial for growth."

He particularly noted Li Jiaman's determination: "She desperately wanted redemption after the women's team loss, but the mounting pressure affected her mixed team performance. We're not afraid of losing - these lessons will fuel our preparation for Los Angeles 2028."

Kim Woo-jin cemented his status as the tournament's standout athlete, adding individual men's gold to his team and mixed team triumphs. The Paris 2024 Olympic champion edged Mexico's Matias Grande 7-1 in the final. In the women's event, Lee Ga-hyun completed Korea's golden sweep with a 6-2 victory over compatriot Lim Si-hyeon.

The compound finals on Saturday saw Dutch star Mike Schloesser claim his tenth World Cup stage gold in the men's final, while India's Madhura Dhamangaonkar secured her victory in the women's final. Team honors went to India (men), Mexico (women), and Britain's Ella Gibson and Ajay Scott (mixed).

The Archery World Cup moves to Antalya, Türkiye for its next stage from June 3-8. Enditem