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World number one and reigning Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion Marcus D’Almeida has spent a week training in Korea with renowned coach Kim Hyung-Tak ahead of the outdoor season.
“I’ve improved this time,” said the 26-year-old from Brazil.
“It’s my fifth time training in Korea and I came back to remind myself of the most important aspects of my shot. I first came in 2018 and, since then, I’ve only seen improvements, which is why I keep coming!”
D’Almeida has been on a tear since late 2021, winning his first stage of the international outdoor circuit in Paris in 2022 and his second last year in Shanghai.
He produced his first big 18-metre results over the last two months – coming runner-up at the Indoor Archery World Series Finals in Las Vegas – but there’s no doubt that the moustached man prefers the great outdoors.
“Sport has a lot to teach us every day,” he captioned an Instagram video of pulling arrows in the snow.
“You don’t need to face nature to hit a 10, but connect with it. Understand that the two can coexist in perfect balance.”
D’Almeida secured Brazil a quota place to the upcoming Olympic Games by finishing third at the Hyundai World Archery Championships in August 2023. Conditions were wet – but he embraced nature then, too, staring up into the rain between sets rather than huddling under an umbrella.
The recurve men’s world number one is not the only one seeking Korean assistance this season.
Lisa Barbelin and the French square are rumoured to be training there this month, while Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das spent time with coach Kim at the end of last year. Kumari currently leads the selection process for this year‘s Indian team and won the Asia Cup in Baghdad over the weekend.
