Indian Olympian Deepika Kumari battles wind to seed 4th in Salt Lake

Deepika Kumari scored 629 out of a possible 720 points on the 72-arrow 70-metre ranking round to seed fourth of the recurve women at the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA.

The Indian archer led at the end of the first half through trying windy conditions – and battled to her second consecutive top-eight bye on the international circuit.

“To be honest, I felt like I just wanted it to finish as soon as possible. It was too windy and I never shoot in that kind of wind condition. That was tricky,” she said.

“It’s very confusing. When I start the draw and the wind comes and pushes me, it’s horrible – and difficult. But I was just thinking, be calm and relaxed.”

Kumari, recently named to India’s Asian Games team, seeded sixth in Antalya and finished eighth, and seeded 10th in Shanghai and finished ninth overall.

The four-time Archery World Cup Final silver medallist sits 10th in the season rankings arriving at stage three and, if likely only needs to continue bagging consistent finishes to qualify for another year-ending event.

Despite taking that bye into the third round in Salt Lake, Kumari won’t take a high placing for granted.

“It’s very difficult because when you start in the third round, there are tough players. They’ve already shot in those conditions, when it will be my first match. It’s not easy,” she said.

Lisa Unruh led recurve women’s qualification with 641 points.

India sent six archers to the third stage of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Salt Lake City.

Deepika seeded fourth and her recurve women’s teammate Bombayla Devi Laishram 27th; Atanu Das was 27th, and Deepika and Atanu sixth in the mixed team. 

Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam are still to shoot compound qualification.

The third stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup takes place in Salt Lake City, USA on 18-24 June.