What you need to know: Medellin recurve finals

No-one in the recurve men’s final, at least. Korea qualified all four athletes in the top five and proceeded to beat almost everybody in the eliminations. The outcome: a rematch of one of the best matches of the 2013 season.

Brazil might just find some mixed team magic in the form of DALMEIDA and NIKITIN, who have been shooting out of their skin all week. Read on for a rundown of our Medellin recurve finals predictions…

Recurve men’s individual gold (afternoon session): LEE (KOR) versus OH (KOR)

It’s a treat to have the Koreans back on the Archery World Cup circuit after we missed the nation’s recurve squad in Shanghai. It’s even more of a treat to have a rematch of the Belek 2013 final to announce their arrival on the 2014 tour.

LEE Seungyun won those world championships, which was a bit of a surprise – since OH Jin Hyek is already the reigning Olympic and World Cup Final Champion.

A little revenge on the cards?

Advantage: OH

Recurve men’s individual bronze (afternoon session): KIM versus MOHAMAD (MAS)

Not just a return in 2014 for KIM Woojin, but a return after an 18-month-long absence from the international scene. He won the worlds in 2011 and the World Cup Final at Tokyo 2012 – but was left out of the London Games team.

He was on for a world record during qualification, but fell a few points short – but his pedigree leaves little to be desired. 

That’s not saying Khairul Anuar MOHAMAD is a slouch by any means: he’s made a World Cup Final and was Asian Champion in 2011 (the same Asia that Korea is a part of). Still…

Advantage: KIM

Recurve women’s individual gold (afternoon session): UNRUH (GER) versus JUNG (KOR)

Having never made an individual podium at a World Cup stage before now, Lisa UNRUH is in uncharted territory. JUNG Dasomi, however, had gold at Antalya 2011 and bronze in Porec the same year. They were the only two stages she had ever attended.

An interesting fact: JUNG won the London 2012 test event, but didn’t go to the Games.

Another interesting fact: UNRUH won three shoot-offs to get to this final. That is what we call hard work… can she really let that go to waste?

Advantage: UNRUH

Recurve women’s individual bronze (afternoon session): JOO (KOR) versus ERDYNIEVA (RUS)

Four years ago, JOO Hyun Jung was world champion – after taking individual and team gold at Ulsan 2009 – and Natalia ERDYNIEVA was set to become European champion, one year later at Rovereto 2010.

Fast forward to the present, and while JOO made her only World Cup Final appearance to date at Paris last year, ERDYNIEVA hasn’t had a stage medal since a silver at Santa Domingo six years ago.

It could go either way.

Advantage: Push

Recurve men’s team gold (morning session): Korea versus India

It’s the first time the top three qualifiers at this event have ever shot together in the team event – and KU Bonchan has never shot in the team event internationally before at all.

But in 2013, Korea won all three team golds at the stages they attended – while India haven’t had a podium since 2011. Only Atanu DAS returns from the experienced Indian line-ups, but the second seeds shot consistently to make this final.

The Korean trio just shot better… so far.

Advantage: Korea

Recurve women’s team gold (morning session): China versus Germany

China could make it two stage golds in a row, after winning on home soil in Shanghai last month. It is, again, a new-look team to the one that won silver at London 2012 – and silver here in Medellin last year.

While Germany will overcome a medal drought they’ve been looking to beat since Porec 2011. There, the team had bronze, but since they’ve come fourth twice. At Medellin 2014, Germany beat Korea in a semifinal shoot-off – Lisa UNRUH’s fourth of the tournament – and if this match goes the same way, it would be difficult to bet against the trio!

Advantage: Germany, if the team can keep it close

Recurve mixed team gold (afternoon session): Korea versus Brazil

Seeded just 11th, Brazilians Marcus DALMEIDA and Sarah NIKTIN are the Davids against OH Jin Hyek’s Goliath Korea. They upset the USA in the first round, and it seemed to spark something in the pair – who have both shown such international promise – all the way through the semis.

In fact, they are the more experienced partnership in this match-up, since OH last won a mixed team match with KI Bo Bae in the final of Belek 2013 and now he’s with LEE for the first time. Who knows how they’ll work together on a finals field.

Probably just fine, but Brazil deserves this.

Advantage: Brazil

Agree? Disagree? Tweet @worldarchery with your predictions!