Li Mengqi became only the second Chinese archer to win an individual title in Shanghai as he held off Mete Gazoz 6-4 in a thrilling recurve men’s final at the second stage of the 2026 Hyundai Archery World Cup.
Competing at just the second World Cup stage of his career after Medellin 2023, Mengqi had already established himself as one of the standout performers of the week during Friday’s eliminations.
The 22-year-old defeated Madrid 2025 winner Matias Grande, top seed Tang Chih-Chun and Paris 2024 Olympic Champion Kim Je Deok to reach Sunday’s final fours.
Boosted further by mixed team gold earlier in the day alongside Huang Yuwei, Mengqi carried the same calm confidence into the afternoon session at Riverside Financial Plaza.
He first defeated Türkiye’s Berkim Tumer 6-2 in the semifinals before overcoming another Turkish opponent in Gazoz to secure the biggest victory of his career.
The former Olympic, world and European champion fought back brilliantly from a 4-0 deficit to force a fifth set, shooting 10, 10 and 9.
That left Mengqi needing perfection in the final end to close out victory – and he delivered, shooting two arrows into the X-ring, the central zone within the 10-ring used to break ties in qualification, to secure the title 6-4.
“I didn’t care too much about winning or losing, I just did my best,” said Mengqi, who joins Chen Wenyuan as the only Chinese winners in Shanghai history. “Whether I win or lose, it’s up to fate.”
“The more important thing is to be yourself,” he added. “I didn’t think about having to shoot three 10s. As long as I do my actions well and do what I should do, I feel comfortable.”
Had you not known Mengqi beforehand, you might have assumed he had spent years competing in major international finals.
In reality, the 22-year-old was competing in only his third international tournament and had not featured in the Chinese national team setup for three years prior to 2026.
He effectively secured his return by winning the 2025 National Games last November – one of China’s largest domestic multi-sport events – representing Shandong province.
Whether it was that confidence or his superb eliminations run against some of the world’s highest-ranked archers, Mengqi never appeared overwhelmed by the occasion.
He shot throughout the afternoon with an almost playful calmness and, despite the crowd of journalists, photographers and fans waiting for autographs afterwards, he remained notably unfazed.
“I don’t really feel much about it, I think it’s pretty normal,” he said. “I’ve seen athletes from our country, like table tennis and shooting players, they’re all this popular too.”
Asked about ending China’s long wait for another individual champion in Shanghai, Mengqi was measured in his response.
“I don’t think it’s about breaking this drought,” he said. “Maybe now we’ve reached a higher stage but it still takes time.”
“We have more young people now... it may still take some time to prove it.”
The closest China has previously come to a consistent recurve men’s individual superstar was London 2012 bronze medallist and two-time World Cup Final runner-up Dai Xiaoxiang.
Yet the reaction from the home crowd in Shanghai suggested Mengqi may already be on his way to becoming the nation’s next major name.
This concluded the second stage of the 2026 Hyundai Archery World Cup season in Shanghai, with the circuit next heading to Antalya, Türkiye for stage three.
Podiums: Shanghai 2026
Full results on the event page.
Recurve men
- Li Mengqi, China
- Mete Gazoz, Türkiye
- Berkim Tumer, Türkiye
Recurve women
- Kang Chaeyoung, Korea
- Zhu Jingyi, China
- Jang Minhee, Korea
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