The Hyundai Archery World Cup season opener last month in Shanghai featured an intense battle between Lim Sihyeon and Li Jiaman. The rivalry continued at stage two in Yecheon, where Jiaman’s Chinese team surprised Sihyeon and Korea with a shocking loss. However, Sihyeon managed to get revenge by beating Jiaman in the individual semifinals and went on to win her third circuit stage victory in just four appearances.
Throughout the competition in Yecheon, Lim and Jiaman exchanged positions at the top of the recurve women’s qualification leaderboard. Lim, the world number two, finished with a score of 685 points, securing the pole position with two impressive 59-point ends in her home ground. Lim attributed her success to the familiar competition environment in Yecheon, where she feels comfortable and performs well.
Meanwhile, Jiaman ended the day in third place with 678 points, trailing behind Lim’s Korean teammate Jeon Hunyoung (680). Deepika Kumari, the Shanghai runner-up, finished just one point behind Jiaman with a score of 677, her best qualifying score since 2016. Despite her individual success, Kumari expressed concern about her team’s performance and emphasized the importance of confidence in her technique.
The Indian recurve women’s team was seeded sixth, while Sihyeon’s Korea team claimed the top spot ahead of China. The ongoing rivalry between Lim and Li promises an exciting continuation in Yecheon. The competition will proceed with recurve team eliminations on Thursday morning, followed by individual match play in the afternoon.