An San put in a career best performance over 72-arrows as she poled with a stunning 692 in the recurve women’s qualifications at the Gwangju 2025 Hyundai World Archery Championships.
As well as breaking her personal best – which was previously at 686 – the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion’s score was higher than all 277 recurve archers at the Gwangju International Archery Centre bar male compatriot Kim Woojin [701], showing the men how to shoot imperiously amidst soaking conditions as well as the women.
An San did all of this at home, in her city of Gwangju.
“I’m so grateful to have won first place in the qualification in my hometown of Gwangju,” she said as she waded back from the target on the field-turned-swamp. “I worked really hard, and this good result has me thinking I need to work hard to apply.”
“We have the team and mixed events in the afternoon, and I hope to finish well by working together with my teammates.”
“I’m so, so nervous, however please give me all the praise and a round of applause for working hard.”
Paris gold medallist Sihyeon Lim and Hermosillo 2023 World Cup Final champion Kang Chaeyoung also dropped astonishing totals, both accumulating 689 and further highlighting how the rain was no issue for the Koreans.
It was not a complete one-two-three top seeds for the world’s leading archery nation though as China’s 19 year old athlete Zhu Jingyi was just one off An San at 691.
She was even leading all time great Woojin halfway through after 36 arrows.
“I feel that the performance was good, and I just put everything aside and insisted on going up in scores.” The real battlefield will be in the afternoon,” added Jingyi who is yet to win a major international solo medal.
The recurve team eliminations will occur this afternoon.
