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Marcella Tonioli’s farewell falls just short of fairytale finish in Shanghai

8 May 2025

Shanghai, China

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Marcella Tonioli ended her international career in Shanghai 2025.

Marcella Tonioli’s international career came to a close in Shanghai, the second stage of the 2025 Hyundai Archery World Cup, after a narrow quarterfinal loss to Huang I-Jou.

The Italian compound archer, competing in her last event before transitioning to a team manager role, had upset top seed Andrea Becerra en route to the last eight.

She was on the cusp of a poetic ending to a stellar career that included a Hyundai Archery World Cup Final title and a European Championships mixed team gold in 2016, as well as the current compound women’s team match world record.

But the 38-year-old came up short, losing by two points to Chinese Taipei’s Huang in the compound women’s quarterfinals.

“It’s gone so quickly. It’s been an up and down of emotions,” said Tonioli, reflecting on a career that began at a European Grand Prix in Türkiye in April 2011 and spanned over 15 seasons.

“I’m happy to become a team leader and make something good for my teammates, but also, I would like to shoot again.”

“It is my time to stop, and also physically I’m not okay.”

When asked what advice she would give her younger self on debut, Tonioli added: “Keep going and have fun. I love the fun. You will meet some good people and you have to do it.”

It will surely sting the former world circuit champion, knowing she came so close to ending her career on a high. But as is often the case in sport, the fairytale ending wasn’t to be.

Marcella Tonioli and Huang I-Jou on the shooting line.

One archer’s delight is another’s dismay – and the pouring downfall on the field mirrored the sadness in the Italian camp and among fans and fellow athletes, who have long admired Tonioli, knowing they would no longer see one of the modern greats of compound women’s archery take the shooting line again.

Huang, who will now shoot against USA’s Carson Krahe on Saturday in her first final four since Antalya 2019, edged the match in challenging conditions.

“I think I was more lucky this time,” said a beaming Huang. “I did my best shooting every arrow and focused on myself. It was very windy in [Central] Florida, and so compared with then, I feel also lucky and more patient.”

“I told myself that it should be more patient – and then I did well.”

India’s Rishabh Yadav pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the week by eliminating world number two Mathias Fullerton in the compound men’s quarterfinals.

Despite the onslaught of raindrops bouncing off his drenched hair – he doesn’t wear a hat due to his high string draw style – Yadav kept his composure to reach his maiden World Cup final four, winning a shoot-off with a 10 closer to the centre than the Dane’s.

“I will say [the rain] was there,” he said of the weather distraction. “But I was more focused, in my zone. And it’s my shooting, it’s my style. I know how to deal with it.”

Competition in Shanghai continues with mixed team matches on Friday morning, followed by recurve eliminations in the afternoon.