It wasn’t quite a repeat of the decimation of the compound men’s ranks during the Saturday quarterfinals, when all four ranked athletes lost, but over half of the favoured recurve archers lost their first matches at Mexico City 2015.
In the recurve women’s competition, Choi Misun was the only seed to advance. Ana Maria Rendon, Kawanaka Kaori and, Olympic and World Champion, Ki Bo Bae all fell.
“I was feeling good and I don’t know what happened,” said Korea’s Bo Bae, after walking off the field second best to Le Chien-Ying from Chinese Taipei. “I tried to set my sight but it wasn’t working. I feel good, though. I couldn’t do anything.”
More disappointment came for Korea when number-two seed Lee Seungyun dropped to Miguel Alvarino Garcia. Spain’s Garcia was winner of the first European Games in 2015.
Seungyun, like Bo Bae, was pragmatic.
“I didn’t prepare well and the travel distance has affected me. I just didn’t shoot well,” he explained. “Miguel is my friend and I’m glad he won.”
He was not the only archer struggling with their personal condition in Mexico City. Three-time Champion Brady Ellison struggled with sickness throughout the lead-up to the competition, and was still suffering as he took to the field against Collin Klimitchek.
“I’ve been sick since Brazil. I have good days, bad days. I had no strength all day, I’m dehydrated and worn down. I had a good day yesterday but today I could barely hold by bow inside the blue,” he said.
All the more impressive, then, that Brady posted a set of a perfect 30 points to steal two set points in the match. Collin won, eventually, 6-2.
“I’m glad he’s gone on,” Ellison added. “He’s got a better chance of winning a medal today.”
The most dramatic match of the morning session was the last of the individual clashes, pitting World Archery Champion Kim Woojin against Mexico’s very own Luis “El Ebuelo” Alvarez.
Much to the delight of the nearly-5,000-strong crown, El Ebuelo took the first set, 28-27. He dropped the second after shooting a poor seven with his first arrow.
In the third, Kim Woojin shot a perfect 30, and Alvarez matched him.
The Mexican had a chance to go up in the fourth when his Korean opponent shot an eight, but Alvarez – too – put an arrow in the red, and the pair split the points for a second set in a row.
At 4-4, Woojin put 10, after 10, after 10 into the middle of the target, for a second perfect 30. Alvarez matched him with his first two arrows.
Needing a 10 to force a shoot-off, Alvarez drew, held and put his last arrow of the match into the eight. He lost the match, but he ran the Korean World Champion to within a single arrow.
“That was one of those great matches that you’ll never regret shooting,” said Luis. “The last shot is all about that inner battle, and I still need to work on it.”
Turning to Woojin in the mixed zone, Alvarez smiled and gave his opponent a friendly pat on the shoulder: “Next time!”
