Recurve women
Gold Medal – KWAK Ye Ji (KOR) vs YUN Ok Hee (KOR)
A 100% Korean final! The 12-arrow match in which world record holder YUN will face KWAK, the reserve archer for the Korean team during the last Olympic Games in Beijing. The most experienced archer of this match was YUN, but her teammate was No. 1 seed in Antalya and might create an awesome surprise for her first archery World Cup gold medal match.
Both archers did not have a good start! KWAK scored 24 and YUN shot only one point better with 25.
YUN continued with her troubles and even scored a 6 to reach only 49 points at the half. KWAK found her rhythm and scored a nice 10-10-9 to earn a 4-point lead, 53-49.
The winner of the Antalya World Cup stage last year (when she broke the world record for a match with 119 points) was not going to repeat her feat this time. She kept shooting on the lower part of the target with 8-9-8. On the opposite KWAK was solid with a 9-X10-8 and increased her lead to six points, 80-74!
During her world record last year, YUN had only one arrow out of the 10. Today she only had one 10. Her young teammate KWAK celebrated her first World Cup victory with a score of 107-101!
Bronze Medal – OUYANG Ruyu (CHN) vs JOO Hyun-Jung (KOR)Asian archers are again in the spotlight in Baki Beach! There were three Korean woman during these finals. JOO is Team Olympic champion in the Beijing Games. She faced OUYANG from China, outsider of this match.
Both archers started a little on the left but still achieved high scores with both shooting 28 points.
The archers must keep their usual clicker speed and their follow through despite the wind and when they did so, they shot X10s or 10s. However, OUYANG held too long on one occasion and scored 7 in the second end. JOO took the lead 55-56.
The Chinese scored a couple of 8s in the third end while the Korean stayed solid with three high 9s and took the lead 83-80.
OUYANG finished well with 10-9-10. However JOO kept shooting solid shots. Although they were not perfect, she scored three other 9s and managed to hold a 1-point victory, 110-109!
Crispin’s corner:
JOO is a fast shooter and that’s an advantage with the wind. OUYANG was sometimes a full draw for more than five seconds and that gave a chance for the wind to push her around. JOO did not miss the gold and deserved her victory.
Compound Women
Gold Medal – Luzmary GUEDEZ (VEN) vs Olga BOSCH (VEN)
This was a world premiere in the history of this competition! Two archers from Venezuela went for gold in Antalya. BOSCH, who ranked 3rd at the first stage in Santo Domingo this year, shot against GUEDEZ, the winner of the Stage 4 last year in Boe, France.
BOSCH started with arrows low in the target, while GUEDEZ was a bit all over the place. They both scored 25 points in the first end.
In the second end, GUEDEZ calmed down and had better a group, a bit low. She scored 10-9-9. It seemed BOSCH moved her sight and shot a 9 high on the target. Then she adapted again and launched two X10s! BOSCH led 54-53.
GUEDEZ kept shooting a bit too low in the third end but made 9-9-10. BOSCH now had the perfect height but suffered a bit from the wind as she scored two 9s on the right and one 9 on the left. Scores were tied at 81-81!
In the last end, GUEDEZ held on with 9-10-8 to get to 108 points. BOSCH had a strange follow-through on her 10th arrow and scored a 7. She finished with two 9s but that was not enough to come back. In either event it’s gold and silver for Venezuela! GUEDEZ won 108-106!
Crispin’s corner:
Although GUEDEZ had only two arrows above the middle line of the target, she still won the match. BOSCH had the best start but she could not hold it until the end with five 9s and one 7 in the second half. Her group opened up. GUEDEZ was more consistent to win the match.
Bronze Medal – Camilla SOEMOD (DEN) vs Ivana BUDEN (CRO)
Leading the World Cup ranking, BUDEN was the favourite in this match. She won a silver medal in Porec one month ago, at home and another medal here in Antalya would bring her to a very good position for the grand final in Copenhagen. Ranking 14th SOEMOD will have to count on her vast experience in trying to defeat one of the most consistent archers this year!
SOEMOED started well with X10-9-10 and took a 3-point lead over BUDEN, who had only 8-9-9, 29-26. The Croatian came back with a perfect 30 that allowed her to close the gap to one point at 56-57 and then 83-84. However, SOEMOD did not let go in the last end. Her three 9s were enough to clinch bronze with the score of 111-109.
Crispin’s corner:
The wind was constant but not strong. In the third end, it looked like both archers were surprised by their shots. SOEMOD had the best start and the best finish and that gave her a logical win.
What a day on the beach!!
Crispin DUENAS
Jean-Denis GITTON
Didier MIEVILLE
FITA Communication
