3 Koreans reach quarterfinals in women's recurve at archery worlds

From left, An San, Kang Chae-young and Lim Si-hyeon of Korea celebrate after beating India in the bronze medal match of the recurve women's team event at the World Archery Championships at the May 18 Democracy Plaza in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, Wednesday. Yonhap

All three Korean archers in action reached the quarterfinals of the women's recurve individual event at the World Archery Championships at home Friday, the final day of the competition.

World No. 1 Lim Si-hyeon defeated Gatha Anandrao Khadake of India by 6-0 (30-26, 28-25, 29-24) in the round of 16 in the women's individual event at the May 18 Democracy Plaza in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul. Lim will face Diananda Choirunisa of Indonesia in the quarterfinals.

Lim's two Korean teammates also prevailed in the round of 16, as An San, a Gwangju native, beat Huang Yuwei of China 6-2 (28-27, 28-26, 26-27, 29-28), and Kang Chae-young got past Dunya Yenihayat of Turkey 7-1 (29-29, 29-26, 29-28, 27-26).

In the quarterfinals, An will be up against Li Jiaman of China, and Kang will take on Alejandra Valencia of Mexico. An and Kang will meet in the semifinals if they both win their next knockout match.

In individual recurve matches, archers each take three arrows per set, for a maximum score of 30 points. They earn two points for a set win and one point for a tie. The goal is to score six points first.

Matches in the quarterfinals and beyond will be held during Friday's afternoon session.

The three Koreans combined for the team bronze medal Wednesday, with An adding a silver in the mixed team event on the same day.

All three are pursuing their first world individual title. Kang was the silver medalist in 2019 and An won bronze in 2021. Lim won the mixed team gold in her world championships debut two years ago in Berlin but was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the individual event.

Since its world championships debut in 1979, Korea has had two podium sweeps in the women's recurve individual event — in New York in 2003 and in Madrid in 2005.

The last four world championships have produced four different women's recurve individual champions from four different countries.

Korea had set out to win all five recurve gold medals but has earned just one gold so far in the men's team event. It took silver in the mixed team and bronze in the men's individual and women's team events.