Im beats Wei to world crown in wild shoot-off

Three-time Olympic medallist Im Dong Hyun beat Wei Chun-Heng of Chinese Taipei in a one-arrow shoot-off, scoring eight points to his opponent’s seven, to become World Archery Champion for a second time in his career at the 2017 Hyundai World Archery Championships in Mexico City

“I’m just so happy right now!” said Im. “It’s been 10 years [since my first title], but there’s no way to describe this feeling. I’m just so happy and I think that’s it.”

the Korean man came second in his debut worlds in 2003 and won gold four years later in Leipzig.

Im lost the first set in Mexico City, 28-27, and then lost the second, too, 28-25. He then won the third and split the points in the fourth with Wei to put the match at 3-5.

Dong Hyun scored nine, 10 and a nine with his last three arrows; Wei, a wild pair of sevens and a nine – sending the match into the shoot-off.

Im shot first: eight; the consistent Korean looked mightily disappointed. 

Wei shot second, held for a long, long time at full draw – and incredibly put in another seven. The Korean team screamed.

“I just wanted to keep doing what I’ve been doing. I just didn’t give up until the end and just wanted to shoot my shot,” said Im, referring to the shoot-off.

Mexico City was Im Dong Hyun’s sixth World Archery Championships, from which he has collected a total of 11 medals: eight golds, two silvers and one bronze. The 2017 edition of the event marks the first in which he has climbed the podium in all three competitions (individual, mixed team and team.)

Paired with Kang Chae Young, Im also won recurve mixed team gold over Germany’s Lisa Unruh and Florian Kahllund.

Dutchman Steve Wijler took individual recurve men’s bronze with a perfect last set.

The 2017 Hyundai World Archery Championships run 15-22 October in Mexico City, Mexico.