Lee Eun Gyeong collects 1st individual gold and World Cup Final berth

Lee Eun Gyeong beat home favourite Lisa Unruh to the recurve women’s individual gold medal at the fourth and last stage of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Berlin, Germany, qualifying herself for the season-ending final in the process – but eliminating teammate Kang Chae Young.

Lee's teammate Jung Dasomi also won bronze, 6-4, over Tan Ya-Ting of Chinese Taipei.

Lee was in a win-and-in situation in the gold medal match, while her opponent was already confirmed on points for the Samsun roster.

“Personally, the goal was the World Cup Final, I've got a chance now,” she said. “I'm very happy with today's performance but I still need to improve, so in the future I can show better shooting.”

With five 10s and a nine with her first six arrows, Lee won the first two sets to take a comfortable lead, 4-0, over Unruh. The two women then split the two following sets, with 28 and 27 points each.

Those two set points were enough for Lee to win the match 6-2 and claim a first individual gold medal after two team titles, in Shanghai and Antalya, in the 21-year-old’s first year on the international circuit.

“During the match there was lots of cheering from German supporters but I tried to focus on myself,” she explained. “A match is also competing by myself not to the opponent.”

Lee was not part of the team this time as Korea’s lowest individual seed - eighth - after the ranking round. Earlier in the day, her teammates – Chang Hye Jin, Jung and Kang – beat Great Britain in straight sets, 6-0.

Jung won the Incheon 2014 Asian Games but took some time to work herself back into the national squad.

“It’s been a long time for me to be back in an individual final. I was reminding myself about it during this match,” Jung explained. “Joining the team is always good and this gold is incredible.”

Reigning Olympic Champion Chang won three team gold medals at the three stages she competed this year.

“I’ve got a lot of responsibility leading the team,” she said. “This opportunity was really good for us ahead of the Asian Games.”

The 2018 Asian Games take place in Jakarta, Indonesia in a few weeks.

The fourth stage of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup takes place in Berlin, Germany on 16 to 22 July.