When An San broke the recurve women’s indoor world record – obliterated might be a better word – at the Taipei Archery Open in December, her offhand, breezy response was telling.
“This is my first indoor competition since 2019 – I only started training for indoor a week ago.”
“I had never participated in an international indoor competition before, so I was very curious.”
It lent an almost superhuman edge to the achievement. An shot 599 out of 600, adding four points to the seven-year-old record set by Ryoo Sujung at the 2019 Macau Indoor Archery Open.
Most notably of all, it exactly matched the men’s record, set by Brady Ellison eight years ago in Nimes. We are often told how close the elite women’s standards are to those of elite men – but suddenly, there was no difference at all. At least indoors.
Logically, with weather variables removed and the ability to handle more powerful bows offering no advantage, there should be no difference in skill between elite women and elite men in indoor archery.
Perhaps it was no surprise that it was someone like An San – an archer very much of the 21st century, with a proven ability to perform at an astonishing peak – who would finally make it permanently clear.
It was not, of course, the first time An had offered a public, symbolic demonstration of that parity. At Tokyo 2020, on the way to her first gold medal in the mixed team event, it was her arrow that slammed into the back of teammate Kim Je Deok’s on the target face, giving the world its first televised Robin Hood.
It may have been just a chance moment, but no matter – it became a metaphor anyway: rare, flawless, and setting the tone for an extraordinary week. An went on to claim half of the six gold medals won by Korea at those COVID-19-stretched Games, becoming the first archer – and the first Korean athlete – ever to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games.
Among the deluge of money and prizes she received in the wake of Tokyo was a top-end Hyundai car – which the 20-year-old could not use, having not yet learned to drive. She gave it to her parents.
An San followed that record-breaking year with a strong 2022, winning a World Cup stage in Medellin and then the World Cup Final in Tlaxcala, beating teammate Choi Misun. She also reached the final at another Korean ‘major’, the Hangzhou Asian Games, losing to the emerging dominant figure in Korean women’s recurve, Lim Sihyeon.
She would not, however, be part of the team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, falling out of selection relatively early, reportedly due to injury. It was a long two years away off the radar, and some within the archery cognoscenti wondered whether An would return to the Korean frontline at all.
In 2025, An did just that – reclaiming a place on the first team and opening a compelling new chapter.
After three top-eight finishes and a silver medal in Antalya, fans were treated to a classic semifinal at the Gwangju 2025 Hyundai World Archery Championships between An and another resurgent Korean archer, Kang Chaeyoung. She lost – the world title would have to wait – but secured a consolation bronze medal.
But her performance in Nanjing, getting revenge on Chaeyoung in the semi and then fighting through a big gold medal match with Hsu Hsin-tzu, showed that she could still scrap with the very best – even if the shoot-off, in tricky conditions, wasn't one for the ages.
Her performance in Nanjing, however, told the fuller story. Revenge on Kang in the semifinal was followed by a hard-fought gold medal match against Hsu Hsin-tzu, proving she could still scrap with the very best – even if the shoot-off, in tricky conditions, was not one for the ages.
“In Nanjing, it was windy and extremely cold, so the matches were tough,” she said. “I won, but performance-wise there were many things I wasn’t satisfied with.”
“I didn’t have any other chances, so this World Cup Final was my last opportunity. I was like, ‘Got it. I’ve got it.’”
It was also notable that An was the archer the crowd in China had come to see. She spent an hour afterwards signing autographs and memorabilia.
Alongside a handful of top professionals and Olympians in Taipei were dozens of Korean juniors – an environment in which senior archers like An San are always expected, formally or otherwise, to set an example.
Asked how she would like to be perceived by the younger generation, she replied with a grin: “The cool senior.”
“Now that they’ve gained international experience, I hope they will grow into excellent archers in the future.”
It is clear An is cut from a slightly different cloth to many other Korean archers – from visible tattoos to a highly fluent, if occasionally unguarded, approach to social media.
While many athletes are sponsored – usually by endemic archery brands – few, at least outside Korea, attract wider commercial attention. In 2025, An has appeared as a public face for Nike, among other endorsements.
Some have wondered whether An, still a minor celebrity in Korea, might eventually look beyond archery, but she dismissed the idea quickly when asked in Taipei.
“Hmm, no. Archery is the sport I do best and enjoy most. Other sports don’t suit me.”
“Not only Korean fans, but also fans from China, Chinese Taipei and many other countries support me. I’m truly grateful, and I want to become an athlete who can repay that love.”
What barriers will she break next? We will see.
Ellison: It’s not over yet
Bernal: Waiting for the moment
