Chinese Taipei women beat Korea B to Medellin gold

At the second stage in Antalya, Chinese Taipei made the recurve women’s bronze medal match but lost to China.

The group picked up a number of mixed team and individual podiums throughout the year but was held out of the recurve women’s top three through the first three legs of the Archery World Cup circuit. At the last stage of the year, that changed – as the Asian nation beat out India and Mexico to make the final, guaranteeing at least a silver medal in Colombia.

Seeded second after qualifying, Chinese Taipei’s gold final opponent would be Korea.

“After the match with Mexico, we were looking forward to getting out on the field,” said Le Chien-Ying, anchor (third archer up) on the Chinese Taipei team.

Tan Ya-Ting added that the girls new the Koreans would be a challenge – but they entered the arena safe with the confidence that they could win the match.

While it wasn’t the usual Korean roster they would face, as the official national squad had travelled early to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic test event, the athletes in the line-up were no less daunting. Lee Tuk Young, for one, had individual silver at the Madrid 2005 worlds when she was just 15.

Tan, Le and Hsiung Mei-Chien lost the first set, 57-55, before winning the next two and jumping to a 4-2 lead over Korea on set points.

The Korean team scored 53 of a possible 60 points in the two sets they lost, putting three arrows into the eight and only finding the 10 once. 

There was only one way for the Korean women to open the fourth: 10-10-10 and a perfect 30, to put the pressure back on their opponents. While Chinese Taipei needed just a set draw to take the match, if the Koreans scored more over the six arrows it would be sent to a shoot-off.

Tan, Le and Hsiung let two loose arrows drift out into the eight and trailed in the set, by four, with three arrows left to shoot.

The Korean trio couldn’t find the finish they needed: An arrow out into the seven left the door open. Chinese Taipei needed 28 to win. The first arrow, from Tan Ya-Ting, went wide – 8 – leaving her teammates to make up the deficit. Two 10s to win.

Hsiung: 10.

Le: 10!

A 54-point set total in the fourth, matching the Koreans, splitting the set and taking the match, 5-1.

“I knew I needed the perfect shot,” said Le after walking from the field. “I did my best – and the result was amazing.”

The bronze medal went to the USA, after the Wroclaw gold medallists rallied to take Mexico to a draw in regulation, then won the tiebreaker.