Archery World Cup 2024 Stage 1: Deepika Kumari's dream run halted in final, wins silver

Deepika went down 0-6 to the Asian Games gold medalist Lim Sih-yeon.

In an impressive return to the Archery World Cup circuit, India’s Deepika Kumari secured a silver medal in the women’s individual recurve event in Shanghai on Sunday. The former World No. 1 put up a gritty display before going down 0-6 to South Korean heavyweight Lim Sih-yeon in the finals of the Archery World Cup 2024 Stage 1.

Having started as a lowly 30th seed, the three-time Olympian Kumari showed tremendous determination to make it to the gold medal clash. She knocked out higher-ranked opponents like German third seed Katharina Bauer, Korean sixth seed Jeon Hun-young and seventh seed Nam Suh-yeon en route.

In the final though, Kumari was slow off the blocks against the Asian Games champion Lim. Despite shooting a decent 26, the Indian ace lost a close opening set 26-27. The Korean extended her lead by pocketing the second 29-27 to move ahead 4-0.

Deepika takes silver! 🥈Former World No. 1 Deepika Kumari lost to world no 2 Lim Sihyeon of 🇰🇷 in the recurve individual final.She went down 0-6 at the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai!#ArcheryWorldCup #Archery pic.twitter.com/O5ytRVIGot

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) April 28, 2024

Lim dominated the third set as well to clinch it 28-27 and dash Kumari’s hopes of a first individual World Cup gold since June 2021.

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Nevertheless, Kumari’s performance is hugely commendable given that she had slipped to a lowly world ranking of 142 and had to start as the 30th seed at this event. The 29-year-old made a stellar comeback after embracing motherhood in late 2022, having won gold at the Asia Cup in Baghdad earlier this year.

Her silver medal showing in Shanghai has rekindled hopes of Kumari making a charge for an individual Olympic quota place in Paris 2024.

With Deepika Kumari’s silver India has now secured five golds, two silver, and a bronze so far in Shanghai and made an emphatic start to the Paris Olympics and World Cup 2024 season.

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