Wu Chunyan of China led the way over the recurve women’s open ranking round with a score of 637 out of a possible 720 points.
She was 10 ahead of London 2012 Paralympic Champion Zahra Nemati, of Iran, and Wu’s Chinese teammate Ye Jinyan took third with 622 points. Close behind was Poland’s Milena Olszewska and China’s final team member, Lin Dandan, on 619 and 618, respectively.
Wu took three gold medals during the 2015 World Archery Para Championships in Donaueschingen, Germany in the recurve women’s open, mixed team and the team events.
Rio is Wu Chunyan’s first Paralympic Games.
“I felt very excited but a little nervous in the first round. I didn’t shoot so well but later I felt at ease and shot to my actual ability,” she said.
She hopes to replicate her Donaueschingen success in Brazil.
“I would like to shoot my best no matter the final the result. I hope to take at least one medal,” she added.
Second-seeded Nemati and Wu did not compete against each other in Donaueschingen. Nemati focused on the Hyundai Archery World Cup season instead – and Wu was not at the Asian Para Championships later in 2015, where Nemati won her invitation to the Rio Paralympics.
The last major event they both competed in was in 2014, when Nemati won gold at the Asian Para Games in Incheon. Wu finished third.
Zahra Nemati won gold at London 2012 in the W1/W2 division, which was removed from the Paralympics during the classification class adjustments made ahead of Rio. She competes in the 2016 recurve women’s open competition just weeks after making her Olympic debut, which she said she is still recovering from, where she finished 33rd after losing her opening match to Russia’s Inna Stepanova, 6-2.
“It’s two different cases. In the Olympics, you touch some emotions and here it’s different emotions,” Nemati said. “Now, people in Iran ask more results from me here.”
The para archery competition at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games runs 10-17 September in the Sambodromo.
