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Zhang ensures second medal at home stage reaching mixed team final

19 mai 2023

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Recurve mixed team gold medal match line-up.

Zhang Mengyao was pleased to make the most of home advantage after reaching her second medal match of the 2023 Hyundai Archery World Cup season in Shanghai.

The Chinese, who claimed recurve women’s team bronze yesterday – after team silver in Antalya a month ago – teamed up with Wang Dapeng to defeat Turkiye’s Fatma Marasli and Mete Gazoz in their semifinal.

“I’m happy to be in the [gold] final for the second time this year,” Mengyao said. “I feel proud to do this at my home stage.”

Marasli and Gazoz had earlier overcome the Chinese Taipei duo of Peng-Chia Mao and Tang Chih-Chun, seeded second, in their semifinal and will face Indonesia’s Diananda Choirunisa and Alviyanto Bagas Prastyadi in the bronze medal match.

Up against China in the final will be Korea, who qualified as top seeds and successfully navigated the knockout rounds.

“The win against Spain boosted our confidence and our game for the semifinals,” said Lee Woo Seok. “That quarterfinal was a tough match, as they have strong players.”

Lee and Kang Chae Young went on to convincingly beat Indonesia in the semifinals and were one of two Korean teams to make a mixed team final on Friday.

The compound competition saw Korea and India reach the final after a pair of thrilling semifinal victories over Mexico and Italy respectively.

Top seededs Oh Yoohyun and Kim Jongho were level with Mexico’s Andrea and Miguel Becerra on 157 points after a thrilling semifinal.

But it was Korea who progressed to the final with a perfect score in the shoot-off.

“Our communication and trust for each other is the key to our victory,” said Jongho. “We are focusing on this event right now, not thinking about the future.”

It was not the first time the two had edged a nailbiting contest, having also overcome the French team of Sophie Dodemont and Nicolas Girard in a quarterfinal shoot-off.

Mexico also qualified for the semifinal in a narrow victory of their own, fending off the Estonia duo of Meeri-Marita Paas and Robin Jaatma by just a point, having trailed at the halfway stage.

The second semifinal between India and Italy provided a near-identical story, with both teams on 157 points after four ends of their semifinal.

Elisa Roner and Elia Fregnan were two ahead on 119 points heading into the final end but a perfect score from Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Pravin Deotale forced a shoot-off.

And while both India and Italy shot a score of 19 in the tie-break, it was India who progressed to the final with their shooting closer to the middle.

“It was a very good match,” said Deotale. “There were some tense moments, but we told ourselves not to give up until the end.”

Vennam and Deotale will go for their second World Cup gold together this season, having previously triumphed in Antalya.

Competition in Shanghai continues on Friday with recurve elimination in the afternoon.