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Mexican women secure first world team win as China returns to podium

23 April 2023

Antalya, Türkiye

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Mexico, China, and USA collect the recurve team titles at the first stage of the 2023 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya, Türkiye.

Casey Kaufhold and Brady Ellison paired for a second win in two seasons in the pairs event – after their breakthrough result in Paris last year. China featured in both the recurve men’s and women’s team finals but neither was smooth for the returning nation, which hadn’t fielded a squad on the international archery circuit for the last four years. The Chinese men managed a win while the women bowed out to an impressive Mexico.

Olympic medallists Alejandra Valencia and Aida Roman were completed by 16-year-old Angela Ruiz in the Mexican line-up for matchplay in Antalya.

The international debutant kept pace with her experienced teammates as the trio usurped number-one-seed China in straight sets, shooting scores of 55, 55 and 57 points to which their opponents had simply no answer.

“We were waiting for that for a really long time,” said Valencia. Shockingly and despite countless podiums in recent years, this is the Mexican recurve women’s first international win as a team. “We were looking forward to a first place for years, and now we have it.”

In 64 previous appearances at stages of the Hyundai Archery World Cup, World Archery Championships and Olympic Games, Mexican recurve women’s teams had climbed the podium 14 times, taking two bronze and 12 silver medals, including at the worlds in 2017 and 2021.

“It’s a good start to the season,” added Valencia. “We’ve got a lot of confidence that our new team is good and working right.”

“We have a lot of competitions this year and this way of starting the circuit is really nice.”

China fared better in the recurve men’s team final as they held off a comeback from India to seal a thrilling victory after a shoot-off.

Li Zhongyuan, Qi Xiangshuo, and Wei Shaoxuan raced into a two-set lead, edging ahead in the first before a dominant second set took advantage of some loose Indian arrows. But Atanu Das, Dhiraj Bommadevara, and Tarundeep Rai refused to fold.

The Indian squad shot 59 points to secure the third set by a point and then held on to force the tiebreak after Chinese archers couldn’t shoot the 28 points they needed in the final rotation to end the match.

But the Chinese team were not to be denied. Li shot first – and delivered a near-perfect 10, which landed in the tie-deciding inner-middle X-ring.

With the two teams tied on score – 28 points apiece and each with one 10 – after the three-arrow tiebreak, it was Li’s arrow landing closest to the middle of the target that decided the result.

“It was a very tough match, but we finally won it,” said Wei. “We didn’t take part in international competitions for three years and we won here. It’s great.”

Ellison and Kaufhold beat Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Yi-Ching and Tang Chih-Chun, 5-3, in the recurve mixed team final. In days past, US squads featuring former world champion Ellison would rotate and have him shoot the first and last arrows of each set. No longer. Kaufhold was trusted to deliver the winning nine as the pair stated their intent to claim the event this season.

Recurve mixed team bronze went to Spain after Miguel Alvarino Garcia and Elia Canales beat host Türkiye in a shoot-off. Canales’ winning arrow was absolutely dead-centre.

Competition concludes with recurve finals this afternoon in Antalya.