Chinese archers grab 2 medals on home soil
Team China won gold and bronze medals at the 2024 Hyundai Archery World Cup at the Riverside Financial Plaza in Pudong's Lujiazui District over the weekend.
The weeklong competition, which brought together 332 competitors from 46 countries and regions, serves as a ranking event for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The Archery World Cup is held at the Riverside Financial Plaza in Pudong's Lujiazui area.
In the recurve women's team final on Sunday, the Chinese team of Li Jiaman, An Qixuan, and Yang Xiaolei defeated their South Korean opponents 6-2 to grab the gold medal. Li Jiaman won bronze in the women's recurve individual finals.
It was China's first World Cup recurve women's team final win in Shanghai.
"Such a good result is a big encouragement, adding to our confidence as we prepare for the Paris Olympic Games," said An Qixuan.
Chinese archers celebrate winning the gold medal.
South Korea is an archery superpower, having won the Olympics' women's recurve team championship nine times in a row.
Chinese archers struggled early on Sunday. But they took advantage of the mistakes of their opponents and raced ahead.
"The key to winning is mental construction," Yang Xiaolei said. "The South Korean team serves as a reference point. We give it our all every time we meet them."
Despite the drizzle, hundreds of local fans turned out to watch the finals.
Team China acknowledges the crowd.
"Since its inception in 2006, the Archery World Cup has changed the city's attitude toward archery. It is no longer a niche sport," said Guo Bei, Honorary Vice Chairman of the Asian Archery Federation.
After the tournament, the Pudong New Area authorities took the international athletes on a boat ride around the Huangpu River. They sampled local cuisine and listened to Jiangnan (the southern part of the Yangtze River's lower reaches) music.
The World Cup will head to South Korea and Turkey next.
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