Rookie Won over the Champion

Rookie Choi Mi-yeon won the gold medal over this year’s champion of the World Archery Championship, after entering the world of compound bow only 6 months ago.

At women’s individual final match for the 2003 Daegu Universiade compound bow, which took place at Yecheon’s Jinho International Archery Field on August 27, Choi achieved victory over Mary Zorn, who marked a tie to the world record with 687 points at the preliminary games, by 114 to 112.

From 70m’s distance, players get to shoot 12 arrows each. Choi beat Megan Bowker by 112 to 99 points at the semi-finals, and since then some people began to predict that she would win.

Mary Zorn, Choi’s competitor, is this year’s world champion, and had recorded perfect scores at the semi-finals, except for once when she recorded a 9 out of 10.

While Zorn trembled from scoring an 8 at the first shot, Choi scored 9 points twice, 10 three consecutive times, and kept the lead until the 7th round.

Choi, who gained self-confidence, shot the perfect score (10) at the next 2 shots, running ahead by three points, recording 86 to 83.

Although compound bow is popular in Europe and America for hunting, it is not yet adopted at the Olympic games. Moreover, since no Korean players ever participated at International games, it is unfamiliar to Korean viewers.

Compound bows are about 3 kg heavier that recurver bows, has a pulley at the each side of the bow and has a sighting lens, which allows high hit rates.

Meanwhile, men’s Fleuret group of fencing defeated the Russians at the semi-finals at EXCO, Daegu, by 45 to 43, and will be competing with China for the gold medal.

Kwon Kyoung-min passed the preliminary and semi-finals for men’s 3m Springboard diving at 5th and 4th place respectively, and have qualified for the finals, where 12 contestants will be competing.