Gomboeva wins all-Russian final in World Cup debut

In her debut on the international circuit, Svetlana Gomboeva defeated former world champion and teammate Ksenia Perova in an all-Russian recurve women’s final at the second stage of the 2021 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Lausanne. The 22-year-old earned an invitation to the 2021 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final with the victory. 

“I am so happy that it was my first World Cup and I already won,” Gomboeva said. “It motivates me to work even more now.”

After helping Russia to team bronze in advance of Sunday’s individual final four, Gomboeva beat Olympic silver medallist Lisa Unruh with a better 10 in a semifinal shoot-off before turning her sights on her compatriot Perova, an Olympic team silver medallist known for her firey match temperament, in the final. 

Yet it was Gomboeva who carried herself more confidently in the arena.

While neither archer shot especially well in the windy range, Gomboeva made fewer mistakes. Perova shot four sevens in just three sets, each one eliciting a more pronounced look of disgust.

It resulted in a straight-set win for Svetlana in her maiden voyage on the international stage.

“This win makes me believe more in myself,” Gomboeva said, looking forward to the upcoming slate of internationals, starting in just one week in Turkey. “I am very thankful to Lausanne that they organised this World Cup. We got an opportunity to practice in other events ahead of the European Championships.”

Perova didn’t hide her disappointment after losing a very winnable first set, 26-25, and a 10 with her first arrow of the second end indicated that she would battle her way back into the match. 

But the 32-year-old hamstrung herself with two more wild shots, both sevens, and fell into a 4-0 deficit. 

It isn’t often that an archer wins gold without shooting better than 26 in a set, but Gomboeva is a gold medallist nonetheless. She now joins India’s Deepika Kumari as the two recurve women qualified for the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final after the first two stages of the international circuit in 2021.

France’s Audrey Adiceom won bronze, 6-4, over Unruh to complete her unexpected journey in Lausanne.

It is the young French women’s first individual international medal.

The Hyundai Archery World Cup continues with stage three in Paris in June.