Yecheon, located in South Korea, witnessed the triumphant feat of the Indian women’s compound trio comprising Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur, and Aditi Swami as they clinched their third consecutive Archery World Cup gold medal. Accompanying this feat, the mixed team secured a silver medal at the stage two event held on Saturday.
The dominance of the world’s top-ranked Indian compound women’s team was evident right from the outset against Turkey’s Hazal Burun, Ayse Bera Suzer, and Begum Yuva. A commanding display throughout the match resulted in a resounding victory for the Indian trio, securing the gold medal without conceding a single set and maintaining a comfortable six-point lead (232-226) in the final.
Despite her notable achievements, including being an Asian Games champion, Jyothi fell short of adding another gold medal to her collection. Teaming up with Priyansh in the compound mixed team event, they surrendered an early lead in the opening round to their American counterparts Olivia Dean and Sawyer Sullivan, ultimately losing by a narrow margin of two points (155-153). Nonetheless, for Jyothi, Parneet, and the reigning world champion Aditi, this victory marked a hat-trick of World Cup gold medals, following their previous successes at the season-opening World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai and the stage four event in Paris last year.
In the compound women’s team final showdown, the second-seeded Indian contingent commenced with three near-perfect shots landing close to the center, followed by minor point deductions in the subsequent rounds. However, their sheer dominance was evident in the second round, where they showcased impeccable precision by hitting five perfect 10s, including two bulls-eyes, and one 9, extending their lead by four points at the midway point.
Despite a valiant effort from Turkey in the penultimate round, matching India’s score of 58 with four impressive 10s, the Indian team maintained a four-point advantage heading into the final round. Their consistency proved pivotal as they secured yet another 58 points in the final end, highlighted by three 10s and one bulls-eye. Meanwhile, in the highly anticipated clash between the top two ranked nations in the compound mixed team event, the USA staged a remarkable comeback to claim the gold medal, reaffirming their dominance in the sport.
Jyothi and Priyansh initially surged ahead with a two-point lead in the first end, demonstrating exceptional accuracy with a near-perfect score of 39 out of a possible 40. However, their momentum waned as Olivia and Sullivan rallied back to level the scores at 76-all by the halfway mark. Despite a commendable effort, the Indian pair found themselves trailing by a single point after the third end, as the USA duo capitalized on a flawless performance, scoring a perfect 40. Despite their best efforts, Jyothi and Priyansh fell short in their bid to force a shoot-off, settling for a silver medal as the USA pair clinched the gold with a final score of 39.
With expectations high for further success in the compound category, attention now turns to Prathamesh Fuge, poised to secure a maiden individual World Cup podium finish. Fuge’s impressive run, including an upset victory over the reigning world champion Nico Wiener of Austria in the quarterfinals, sets the stage for a thrilling encounter against the seventh-ranked James Lutz. Having already contributed to India’s gold medal triumph in the men’s team event in Shanghai, Fuge now seeks to etch his name in the annals of archery history with a podium finish in the individual competition.