Oznur Cure Girdi on top after first day of qualifications at para worlds 2025
Oznur Cure Girdi topped the compound women’s qualifications at the Gwangju 2025 World Archery Para Championships with 703, just a point shy of her own world record.
Cure Girdi was in ebullient mood after claiming first place, well ahead of Sheetal Devi on 687 and Jodie Grinham on 682.
“I came here to break my own record,” said the Paris 2024 Paralympic Champion. “Competing against myself for my own record made me very happy. That‘s why I came here this week – to compete against myself. I came with all my courage.”
”I‘m very proud because we all believed in this together. No athlete can achieve success alone. I say this many times in many places. We‘re giving so much to be here, we‘re training so hard. That’s why I‘m proud of my whole team, being here enjoying this moment right now.”
The first day of qualifications concluded on Tuesday, with recurve men and W1 women shooting in the morning, followed by compound men and women in the afternoon. Conditions were warm and humid, as is common in Asia during the summer.
A second day of qualifications for the remaining Paralympic categories continues tomorrow.
Great Britain’s Grinham, gold medallist in the mixed team event at Paris 2024, finished as third seed with 682.
“I’m doing really well,” she said. “I thought I might be a bit disappointed with my score. I’m not used to this sort of heat and how the wind behaves – it’s very unpredictable – so I’m actually really happy with how it went.”
Grinham, who became the world’s first pregnant Paralympic gold medallist last summer, was characteristically keen.
“I would like to medal in everything, but I’m just coming back from having a baby. I’m here to see where I am against the rest of the world and push myself fully.”
Elisabetta Mijno, highlighted in World Archery’s crystal ball predictions, topped the recurve women’s list with 641, just ahead of Paralympic Champion Wu Chunyan on 639. Both were well clear of the rest of the field, with China’s Wang Xueqian in third place on 609.
Another Chinese archer, the experienced Zhao Lixue, led the recurve men’s rankings with 658, with Paralympic Champion Harvinder Singh in fourth on 645. Zhao, who won the Asian Para Championships earlier this year, has a string of international medals spanning a decade.
“The atmosphere of the event is really cool,” he said. “I felt confident and strong today and it payed off.”
China also topped the W1 women’s qualification, with 18-year-old Wang Liya – competing in her first international event – leading on 656 ahead of Sarka Pultar Musilova with 653.
The competition continues tomorrow with further qualifications and eliminations.
Top seeds: Recurve men
- Zhao Lixue, China – 658
- Gan Jun, China – 651
- Kholidin, Indonesia – 649
Top seeds: Recurve women
- Elisabetta Mijno, Italy – 641
- Wu Chunyan, China – 639
- Wang Xueqian, China – 609
Top seeds: Compound women
- Oznur Cure Girdi, Türkiye – 703
- Sheetal Devi, India – 687
- Jodie Grinham, Great Britain – 682
Top seeds: W1 women
- Wang Liya, China – 656
- Sarka Pultar Musilova, Czechia – 653
- Cen Mengkan, China – 620
