Korea’s An San becomes 3rd recurve archer to hit 1400 points

Korean teenager An San has become the third recurve woman in history to shoot 1400 points on the four-distance 1440 Round.

The 19-year-old joins legendary Olympic Champion Park Sung-Hyun, who shot 1405 in 2004, and Ryoo Su Jung, who hit the mark at an event in July last year, as the only recurve archers to have broken the score barrier.

“When I realised that I could shoot 1400 after 50 metres, I felt very excited, said An San, who entered the competition with a personal best of 1399 in practice. "I was so happy when I scored my last arrows."

An San burst onto the international scene in 2019, winning the fourth stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Berlin and the Olympic test event in Tokyo.

Currently ranked fifth in the world, she finished third in Korean selections for 2020.

The 1440 Round, formerly called the FITA, involves female archers shooting a total of 144 arrows at four distances: 36 arrows each at 70, 60, 50 and 30 metres. The maximum available score is 1440 points.

An San shot distance scores of 342, 347, 351 and 360 for a total of 1400 points.

The 1440 Round – long considered a monumental achievement – was retired from international competition in 2013 but is still shot in many countries.

Having only been done once prior to 2019, it has now happened twice over the past 12 months – and by two up-and-coming Korean women.

The international calendar is currently on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

World Archery began recognising registered national events for the purposes of world records and performance awards – like the coveted 1400 pin that An San can now request – on 1 July.

World number one Kang Chae Young will also be claiming from her performance in Yecheon. She shot a world record of 354 points for 36 arrows at 60 metres, subject to ratification, one more than the standing best set by Yun Ok Hee in China in 2009.