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Korean recurves on top as storm delays qualifying at Asian championships

5 November 2023

Bangkok, Thailand

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Recurve qualification day at the Asian Archery Championships saw the familiar sight of three Korean men atop the qualification list.

The women’s qualifying competition had to be paused at the halfway mark after storms and torrential rain damaged the field.

Lee Woo Seok finished the day on 693, but was the only man to break 690 in Bangkok, leading teammates Kim Woojin and Kim Je Deok who both finished with 684.

Woo Seok, currently ranked fifth in the world, took home individual bronze at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games and was the runner up at the Hermosillo 2023 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final.

While the individual competition remains a huge prize, the real story this week will be which countries take the crucial recurve team qualifying spots for Paris 2024.

In the men’s competition, both Korea and Japan already have full teams qualified, so if either of them make the final, the runners-up will take the spots. (If both Korea and Japan make the men’s team final, the third place team will get the spots).

In the women’s competition, no Asian team – including Korea – yet has three spots qualified, so only the winner can get the places.

This makes the team placings in Bangkok much more crucial than usual.

Korea’s men are top with 2061, followed by India on 2027 and Chinese Taipei on 2012.

Iran’s recurve men’s team are sitting in fourth place with 1998, ahead of Indonesia, China and Japan. It’s a notable result for a nation better known for successes on the compound side of the field.

Most teams receive a bye through to the second round of matchplay which starts on Wednesday afternoon. Six lower ranked sides will have to try and make it through the first round on Monday.

During recurve women’s qualifying on Sunday, the weather had been getting steadily worse and after torrential rain and wind damaged part of the field infrastructure, the decision was taken to halt qualifying for the day at the halfway stage and restart on Monday morning.

After the restart, Lim Sihyeon of Korea finished on top with a huge 689, leading her three Korean colleagues. This means that Korea are seeded first in the women’s team competition, followed by China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

All these teams receive a bye through to the second round on Wednesday, with a single first round match between Kuwait and the Philippines to be played on Monday afternoon.

While Korea are – as usual – favourites for the women’s team title, the full-strength, motivated presence of every other major Asian archery nation may make it more difficult than usual.

The competition in Bangkok continues with compound qualifying and the first phase of individual eliminations today.