Kang Chae Young breaks world record with 691-point ranking round
Korea’s Kang Chae Young scored 691 out of a possible 720 points to break the recurve women’s 72-arrow 70-metre ranking round world record by four points and the Korean women broke the recurve women’s team record during qualification at the second stage of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya, Turkey.
“I didn't expect to shoot such a high score. I have shot high scores in practice but I didn't expect it to happen in a competition. It hasn't hit me yet but I'm just really happy that I was able to shoot a world record,” said Kang.
“In practice, I tried not to let down my shots and shoot with confidence. I’ve been thinking about how to make a shot technique that would give me confidence during competitions rather than one that would keep me focused on scores.”
Chae Young becomes the first recurve woman to shoot more than 690 points in history and breaks a record, set by Korean compatriot Choi Misun at the last Universiade, that stood for less than a year.
“That score is now my record so I'm going to work hard to beat it again. If another archer shoots a better score it would be great, but I hope my record stands for a little while,” added Kang, laughing.
Olympic Champion Chang Hye Jin seeded second in Antalya with 683 and Lee Eun Gyeong third with 679 points.
The three Korean women’s 2053 combined point total broke the team ranking round world record by eight points. (Korea previously held that record, too.)
On the other side of the field, at the very end of the recurve men’s line, there was more excitement from the Korean squad.
After dropping 15 points over the first 36 arrows, Kim Woojin shot an incredible five-end series of 60, 59, 60, 59 and 59 points, to leave himself with a shot at breaking his very own 700-point world record from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Needing 59 points from his last six arrows, Woojin dropped his first two wide in the nine; one was low, one was high.
He let his last four go having missed the mark and finished on 697 points, somehow a disappointment despite still being one of the highest-shot scores in history and a lock for the top seed on Antalya, six up on Lee Woo Seok.
Jean-Charles Valladont seeded third with 683 points, a new French national record.
Korea ranked first in the recurve mixed team and recurve men’s team competition and, on a day full of records falling, the Dutch men’s second-ranked 2025-point combined total was enough to set a European record, too.
The second stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup takes place in Antalya, Turkey on 20-26 May.
