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Business as usual for Korea as they sweep team finals at Shanghai

11 May 2025

Shanghai, China

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Lim Sihyeon shooting, Kim Woojin behind.

There were no surprises on Sunday morning’s recurve team finals as Korea collected all three gold medals at the second stage of the 2025 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Shanghai.

Six of Korea’s eight athletes walked away with at least one gold wrapped around their neck. The recurve men’s and women’s teams took gold, before Olympic Champions Lim Sihyeon and Kim Woojin grabbed the mixed team too, beating China’s Li Jiaman and Wang Yan with the same score of 6-2.

That win marked Korea’s second final victory over host nation China of the morning. Earlier, Lim, An San and Kang Chaeyoung defeated Li, Zhu Jingyi and Huang Yuwei, much to the disappointment of a vocal home crowd at the Riverside Financial Plaza in Pudong.

“Rather than where individuals come from, we’re always doing our best and we’re coming out to compete,” said all-time great Woojin. “I wouldn’t say it’s beating China on home soil or anything like that, but it’s everyone doing their absolute best and putting on a good performance.”

Given Korea’s recent record, there was little reason to doubt their dominance coming into today’s matches – especially with Woojin and Sihyeon in the line-up.

The pair won in Berlin 2023, Shanghai 2024 and at the Paris 2024 Olympics together in the discipline. Their chemistry and consistency have become a near-unbreakable force on the shooting line.

Off the field, their friendship appears just as strong.

“Last night, Woojin took me to Starbucks, we got some takeout and I learned a lot of things that helped me in today’s competition,” said Lim, who is also scheduled to shoot in the recurve women’s individual final this afternoon.

“He’s a three-time Olympic medallist, but more than anything, I’m just getting more experience as we continue to compete together.”

Mete Gazoz and Dunya Yenihayat celebrating their bronze medal win in mixed team.

Woojin, the reigning Hyundai World Cup Final champion in recurve men, returned the praise.

“Nobody can doubt it in the world right now, Lim Sihyeon is number one,” he stated. “She’s the absolute best, and this is her time.”

An iconic statement, from a legend in the game.

This must have made Sihyeon and the surrounding media dizzy in the mixed zone.

While it was a morning to remember for Korea, it proved far more disappointing for Li Jiaman, who finished runner-up in both the women’s team and mixed team finals and looked visibly down, unable to show her true potential despite enthusiastic support from the stands.

“I get a silver medal, whatever – but where I am, in the home stadium, I am disappointed a lot,” said the 27-year-old, who had to get her coach quickly to fiddle with her bow sight at one point in the mixed team final.

“It’s okay though, because it motivates me to work harder in the future.”

Competition in Shanghai concludes this afternoon with the recurve individual finals, streamed live on archery+.