A new international rule on grip positioning, which requires her to shoot with only her toes (and not her heel) touching the bow, meant months of re-learning and adaptation.
“There was so much pain in my leg,” she admitted. “The soreness in my toes is still fresh, and it took a long time for me to adjust to the new grip.”
Working under her new coach, Gaurav Sharma, in Patiala since November 2024, Devi has been rebuilding her form and confidence.
“The coaching setup is almost the same as before,” she said. “Over the past few months I’ve been working on my new grip position, shooting process and mental strength with Gaurav sir. We’ve developed a really good bond, and mentally I feel very relaxed.”
Coach Sharma praised Devi’s mental toughness and adaptability as her greatest strengths. He described training her as “a journey like no other”.
“When the new rules were put in place, she had to completely relearn her technique,” said Sharma, who is also the longtime coach of Paralympic Champion recurve archer Harvinder Singh. “It was mentally and physically exhausting.
The change in training setup has also allowed Devi to spend more time with her family between events.
“My mother stays and travels with me during competitions,” she said. “I’m more stress-free when she is around.”
The gold medal match in Gwangju was a repeat of the 2023 world final, in which Devi had lost 138-140 to Cure Girdi. This time, the tables turned.
“I didn’t go out to beat her or to avenge my defeat at the last world championships,” she said. “I just gave my 100% and played my best game. When I was shooting the last arrow, I was already in joy – I knew I had won it. The feeling was incredible.”
The Indian teenager sealed victory with a perfect final end of 30 points, while Cure Girdi finished with 29.
