China edges Türkiye to reach recurve mixed team final at archery World Cup in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Host China secured a spot in the recurve mixed team final after edging Türkiye 5-3 in a thrilling semifinal at the 2025 Archery World Cup on Friday.

Bolstered by fervent home support, China's Wang Yan and Li Jiaman split the first two sets (37-37, 38-38) with Türkiye's reigning world champion Mete Gazoz and partner Dünya Yenihayat. The Chinese duo clinched the third set 39-37 for a 4-2 lead before sealing victory with a 37-37 tie in the fourth.

"We were ready for a battle like this. We knew there would be tough opponents," said Wang. "Our coach kept reminding us to stay confident and trust in ourselves. We're happy we made it through."

Gazoz praised the electric atmosphere: "It made the match even more enjoyable. I hope we get the same energy in the [bronze] final."

The win marked redemption for Wang and Li, who suffered a second-round exit at the same venue in 2024. They will face South Korea's Olympic champions Kim Woo-jin and Lim Si-hyeon, who edged Germany's Michelle Kroppen and Moritz Wieser 5-4 in a shoot-off.

Li remained composed ahead of the final: "I hope we can deliver a strong performance and truly play our game. I don't want to overthink it just because they are the South Korean team."

Earlier, Li advanced as China's sole recurve individual quarterfinalist but fell 6-2 to India's Deepika Kumari. Kumari joins South Korea's Lim Si-hyeon, Lee Ga-hyun, and Kang Chae-young in the women's semifinals, while the men's semifinals feature Kim Woo-jin, India's Parth Sushant Salunkhe, France's Baptiste Addis, and Mexico's Matias Grande.

The Shanghai World Cup continues on Saturday with compound individual and team finals. ■