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Türkiye turns it around to take double bronze in Shanghai

17 May 2023

Shanghai, China

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Türkiye responded to a poor showing in Antalya with a pair of compound team bronze medals at the second stage of the 2023 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Shanghai, China.

European champions Batuhan Akcaoglu, Emircan Haney and Yakup Yildiz slumped to seventh on home soil in stage one.

They were among the teams to cope best with difficult conditions and mild rainfall in Shanghai, beating Iran in the bronze medal match.

“The conditions were very confused today, but we are experienced archers and managed to handle it,” said Akcaoglu. “We’re happy to get the team bronze medal.”

Akcaoglu, Haney and Yildiz beat France by one point in a third round tiebreaker before they were edged out by the Netherlands in the semifinals.

Türkiye’s compound women’s team won bronze on the last shot in a thriller, their first medal together as a senior team.

Irmak Yuksel banked the nine needed to lead Hazal Burun and Ipek Tomruk past a Great Britain team featuring world number one Ella Gibson.

“There was a lot of pressure in the last arrow, but we are happy to handle it well,” said Yuksel, whose team finished fifth in Antalya.

The youthful Turkish archers turned it around from stage one but coach Goktug Ergin still wanted more.

“I was hoping one of the teams would make it to the finals,” Ergin said. “I cannot say I am happy but I am not sad either.”

Yesterday’s qualification day brought riches for coach Reo Wilde and Korea’s archers as they took top seedings in men’s and women’s events.

The women’s team of Oh Yoohyun, So Chaewon and Song Yun Soo reached the gold medal match in Shanghai.

But that didn’t pull through into the men’s team event as top seed Kim Jongho, Choi Yonghee and Yang Jaewon crashed out to Iran in the quarterfinals.

Wilde admitted that the men’s teams had a hiccup and pledged to fix it soon.

Iran went on to lose the semifinals to Mexico who emerged as the most consistent nation across the board, reaching both men’s and women’s finals.

Andrea Becerra is only 22 and shooting in her ninth Hyundai Archery World Cup but is consistently a force and finding a leadership role in Mexico’s youthful women’s team.

Becerra shot well to take her team past Italy and Mexico and upgraded the bronze medal they won in Antalya.

“Our friendship and our communication during the match were the key,” said Becerra. “We thought the conditions were tougher, but happy to control our shots.”

Competition continues in Shanghai with recurve qualifying this afternoon.