Lim continues to impress as Korea dominates in Medellin

Lim Sihyeon carried her form from Shanghai as she led a Korean charge in the third stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Medellin, Colombia.

On debut, Lim won individual gold in Shanghai a month ago, and the 20-year-old led a Korean one-two-three in the recurve women’s 72-arrow 70-metre qualification in Medellin, with the nation’s men matching that achievement.

“I have prepared for a lot of things,” said Lim. “Qualification looks good. But tomorrow and the day after tomorrow are more important. I have to concentrate on team matches and individual matches.”

Lim made a blistering start, with 346 from a possible 360 at the halfway stage to sit on world record pace. In the end, she could not maintain that level, with the wind making conditions trickier, but her score of 684 was still seven clear of compatriot Choi Misun in second.

Kang Chae Young made it a hat-trick of Koreans at the top of the leaderboard with Li Jiaman of China, the nearest challenger to them.

Korea’s performances were enough to lead the way in the recurve men team, women team and mixed team on a perfect evening at the Unidad Deportiva de Belen Andres Escobar Saldarriaga.

The women’s performance was emulated by Korea’s men, with Kim Woojin leading the way with a score of 696, just one off his own Asian record, set two years ago.

He finished ahead of Lee Woo Seok and Kim Je Deok, putting a disappointing showing in Shanghai last month behind him.

“This occasion I was better than in Shanghai, it makes me feel relieved to be able to concentrate on the qualifiers,” said Kim, who scored just 647 in qualification in China. “I think I can make it to this stage.”

Behind the Korean top three, Olympic Champion and European record holder Mete Gazoz earned the fourth seed, just ahead of Britain’s Monty Orton, who broke the British record for an international meet in fifth.

Brady Ellison, was a little off his best, qualifying in ninth, explaining that illness had affected his build-up with the world record holder unable to eat at all over the past three days with the objective simply being to stay upright.

Competition continues on Thursday with recurve team and compound individual eliminations.

Top seeds: Recurve men

1. Kim Woojin, Korea – 696 (8 circuit ranking points)
2. Lee Woo Seok, Korea – 694 (7 points)
3. Kim Je Deok, Korea – 692 (6 points)
4. Mete Gazoz, Türkiye – 685 (5 points)
5. Monty Orton, Great Britain – 683 (4 points)
6. Wei Chun-Heng, Chinese Taipei – 682 (3 points)
7. Steve Wijler, Netherlands – 681 39 10s 12 Xs (2 points)
8. Marcus D'Almeida, Brazil – 681 38 10s 13 Xs (2 points)

Top seeds: Recurve women

1. Lim Sihyeon, Korea – 684 (8 circuit ranking points)
2. Choi Misun, Korea – 677 (7 points)
3. Kang Chae Young, Korea – 676 (6 points)
4. Li Jiaman, PR China – 675 (5 points)
5. Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez, USA – 673 33 10s 5 Xs (4 points)
6. Peng Chia-Mao, Chinese Taipei – 673 32 10s 11 Xs (4 points)
7. Lei Chien-Ying, Chinese Taipei – 671 (2 points)
8. Xu Zhiyun, PR China – 669 (1 point)