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It is – once again – Asiatic domination in the recurve final matches of the second stage of the Archery World Cup Antalya. Al but the recurve men’s individual bronze medal will go to either Korea, Japan or China.
By the numbers, here are our picks for recurve Sunday in Antalya…
Recurve women’s individual gold final (afternoon session): KI Bo Bae – KOR / CHOI Misun – KOR
Olympic Champion KI Bo Bae is back on the Archery World Cup field after a one-year hiatus where she acted as an analyst for Korean television. There, she said, she realised what she needed to do to make a successful comeback.
Last time KI shot at at an international competition was Wroclaw 2013, where she left with bronze. She won the 2012 Archery World Cup Final.
To make the finals in Antalya, she beat teammate KANG Chae Young and India’s Deepika KUMARI. Her opponent is teammate CHOI Misun, a new face on the circuit.
CHOI won silver at Shanghai to start the year. In Antalya, CHOI went head-to-head with teammate CHANG Hye Jin in the semifinals. She won in a shoot-off.
CHOI is confident and shooting strong, but KI Bo Bae has been to headier heights and needs this ahead of the worlds in Copenhangen.
Advantage: KI
Recurve women’s individual bronze final (afternoon session): Deepika KUMARI – IND / CHANG Hye Jin – KOR
Archery World Cup final silver medallist 2011-2013 Deepika KUMARI went out in the fourth round in Shanghai to China’s WU Jiaxin.
The young Indian archer competed in 18 Archery World Cup stage gold medal matches – and won five of them: Four as part of a women’s team and one individually.
CHANG lost her semi to teammate CHOI in a tiebreaker. She has also been in Archery World Cup stage final matches before – and won Antalya individual gold last year.
Deepika might have more experience in the shooting line but CHANG – who might be the most extroverted of these Korean women – has the tools to take another medal from Antalya.
Advantage: CHANG
Recurve men’s individual gold final (afternoon session): KIM Woojin – KOR / LEE Seungyun – KOR
The clash of the titans. KIM Woojin and LEE Seungyun are two of Korea’s most consistent high performers.
In the last three years, KIM has never finished lower than top-10 in any international tournament – neither LEE.
KIM led Antalya’s qualification with 693 out of 720 points, seven up on teammate and Olympic Champion OH Jin Hyek. He beat Olympic silver medallist Takaharu FURUKAWA in a quarterfinal shoot-off – then, in the semis, took out the USA’s KLIMITCHEK, 6-2.
KIM has won four Archery World Cup stage gold medal matches and one World Cup final in Tokyo 2012.
Teammate and opponent LEE Seungyun is the reigning world champion and has been in seven Archery World Cup stage final matches, where he won three individually and two with the Korean recurve men’s team.
On his road to the final, he beat Spanish Miguel ALVARINO and the States’ Brady ELLISON.
Advantage: Push
Recurve men’s individual bronze final (afternoon session): Collin KLIMITCHEK – USA / Brady ELLISON – USA
Collin KLIMITCHEK and Brady ELLISON are two-thirds of the United States team that will try to qualify for Rio 2016 at the upcoming World Archery Championships in Copenhagen.
Antalya is by far KLIMITCHEK’s best World Cup showing so far, while ELLISON – a three-time and the reigning tour champ – has far more experience in his pocket.
Olympic team silver medallist Brady beat OH in the quarters. He said he wasn’t scared of the Koreans, who are good shooters, because he could be a good shooter times two!
Advantage: ELLISON
Recurve mixed team gold final (afternoon session): Korea / China
Korea has the world title, China won in Antalya last year.
Four of China’s five wins – out of six appearances – in Archery World Cup stage gold finals have come in Antalya. In fact, since 2010 – China has only missed one last-four: In 2012.
That’s some record on the beach.
Advantage: China
Recurve women’s team gold final (morning session): Korea / Japan
London 2012 Olympic champions and reigning world champs, the Korean team has won six out of ten Archery World Cup stage title matches in Antalya.
This year, they beat Great Britain, Russia and China to make the finals. They face Japan, bronze medallist at London 2012.
Japan beat Germany and Chinese Taipei in quarters and semifinals but have never won or been in an Archery World Cup stage gold medal match before.
Advantage: Korea
Recurve men’s team gold final (morning session): Korea / China
Olympic champions in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 – and bronze medallist in London 2012, the Koreans have won eight Archery World Cup stage final matches.
Last year they won in Medellin and Antalya, too.
Early this week, they beat knockout Italy in quarterfinals, by 6-0 – and the United States in semifinals by 5-3.
China has never competed in an Archery World Cup stage gold medal match, but they beat India and France to make the Antalya final.
Advantage: Korea
Read more about Antalya 2015.
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