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Shanghai 2024: Estonia’s siblings excel in windy conditions

26 April 2024

Shanghai, China

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Estonia and India into compound mixed team gold medal match in Shanghai.

Robin and Lisell Jaatma took advantage of windy conditions to upset higher ranked pairs and make it to the compound mixed team gold medal match of the season-opening Hyundai Archery World Cup in Shanghai.

Ranked eighth after qualifying, the Estonian siblings shocked top nation Korea in the quarterfinals and fourth seed USA in the semis at the Yuanshen Stadium on Friday morning.

They will face the second seeded duo of India in the gold medal match tomorrow. Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Abhishek Verma scored a perfect 160 in their first round to Australia.

“When it’s windy, I feel more comfortable,” said Robin, who won the mixed team compound gold medal with Lisell at the 2023 European Games in Krakow. “In Estonia, it’s always windy, and that gave us the advantage.”

“I felt really good today. My shots were clean, and they had hit the target,” he added. “My confidence boosted my sister’s.”

Though Robin and Lisell tend to compare each other in competitions, the latter was humble enough to admit that “Robin basically carried us today with the wind.”

The USA and Mexico will play for the last spot on the podium.

The recurve finals will see the number one mixed team of Korea’s Kim Woojin and Lim Sihyeon face the surprising Spaniards Andres Temiño and Elia Canales for stage win, while the bronze medal match will feature India against Mexico.

Estonia facing USA in the compound mixed team semifinal in Shanghai.

In Shanghai, the way to the final was not easy for the Estonian siblings.

They first had to shoot a perfect 40 in the last end to beat France by the smallest margin, 158-157.

“It was a very tensed match,” said Lisell. “It gave us the confidence to shoot well against Korea.”

In their quarterfinal, they led right from the start and kept the momentum until the end to win by three points.

Lisell Jaatma pointed out bonding and coordination as siblings working well in their matches.

"Our dynamic is very good. We know what works; we know what we say - we just shoot really when we are together," said she who is the elder of the two.

The duo is a trio, in fact, as they have been training with their mother Maarika Jaatma since they were six.

Estonia will face India for gold, after Verma and Vennam saw off Australia (with a perfect score of 160), Luxembourg and Mexico.

“It will be a tough match. They are really good,” said the 24-year-old Lisell, hoping that they can produce an amazing game to win their first World Cup gold on Saturday.

“We also want to win the European Championships together. That’s our goal.”

Elia Canales and Andres Temino make recurve mixed team gold medal in Shanghai.

Korea’s leaders Kim Woojin and Lim Sihyeon ensured the nation a shot at the recurve mixed team gold medal in Shanghai on Sunday.

The number one duo dominated throughout eliminations winning all three matches in straight sets against Mongolia, Malaysia and India.

Korea will face a charged-up pair of Spain who put up an impressive show on the day with three wins over higher-ranked teams.

Seeded 11th, Temiño and Canales defeated third seed Germany in a tie-break in quarterfinals.

The two teams were tied again after their shoot-off arrows, but the Spaniards scored a 10 and an eight, while their opponents had two nines. It was the 10 that decided the winners in this match.

“It’s a nice to shoot against everybody,” said Canales, who already owes one team gold and team bronze medals from stages in 2019.

“It’s first the World Cup of the season, so a start like this one proves that we are working well and in the right direction. Let’s see what happens!”

India’s Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat will shoot for bronze against Mexico’s Matias Grande and Alejandra Valencia.

Competition continues this afternoon in Shanghai with recurve individual eliminations.