6 individual bronze medal winners at Beijing 2017

Defending Champion Wu Chunyan was among the six individual archers to take bronze medals at the 2017 World Archery Para Championships – as the early stages of competition concluded in Beijing.

Wu seeded second, trailing only two-time Paralympic Champion Zahra Nemati, in qualification but found herself upset by Turkey’s Merve Nur Eroglu in the semis.

Although unable to defend her title on home soil, 27-year-old Wu dominated the recurve women’s open bronze medal match, beating out Russia’s Svetlana Barantseva in four sets, 7-1. 

Wu’s Chinese teammate Lin Yueshan, Russia’s Anton Zaypaev and Konstantin Donskoi, Victoria Rumary of Great Britain and the USA’s Ben Thompson also all won bronze medals.

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Ben Thompson beat defending World Archery Para Champion Alberto Simonelli in the compound men’s open bronze medal match, 146-144.

“This feeling is amazing. This is my birthday week and to be able to be on the podium, that is the best feeling ever,” he said. 

“At first I was a little angry because I wanted to beat [Andre] Shelby for the gold, but nothing can match this feeling.”

He wasn’t on the line alone during his matches.

“My brother’s wife Megan has breast cancer. I have her name on my arrows and the breast cancer ribbon. She lived in China for a year when she was in college and to be able to bring her with me and win the bronze, it just feels really good,” Ben explained.

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Victoria Rumary on her bronze medal.

“I’m really pleased. To win the bronze in my first world championships, it’s just amazing. I’m a little shocked but so grateful to be here and to win bronze, I cant believe it.”

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It was a morning filled with upsets in Beijing, especially when top recurve men’s open seed Kim Min Su went out in the third round.

“I’m really sad,” he said. “It’s sad that I couldn't go up with the other players. I feel down but I will try next time. It just wasn’t my day.”

Iran’s Somayeh Abbaspour, top ranked in the compound women’s open competition, fell to teammate Razieh Shir Mohammadi, 140-131, but stayed behind the line to cheer her teammate on.

Top seeded man Marcel Pavlik fell to China’s Ai Xinliang in the quarters.

The 2017 World Archery Para Championships run 12-17 September in Beijing, China.