Indian archer Deepika Kumari’s second individual gold medal of the season has pushed her to the top spot in the recurve women’s world rankings, with less than a month to go to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Kumari won the first stage of the 2021 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Guatemala City in April – and just took gold at the third leg in Paris, too.
“I’m happy because I’m improving,” she said after winning in the French capital. “I want to improve because the upcoming tournament is very important to us, so I’m trying my best and will continue learning whatever I can.”
Deepika will now arrive at the Olympics as world number one.
She was previously ranked first in 2012 ahead of her first Games in London – and last held the number one position in June 2013.
Brady Ellison, Tanja Gellenthien and Mike Schloesser remain in the other top spots in the world rankings.
With her first victory since the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in 2019, five-time circuit champion Sara Lopez jumped into the second spot and only trails Gellenthien by a few world-ranking points.
