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Li Mengqi holds off favourite Mete Gazoz to become second only Shanghai winner from China

10 May 2026

Shanghai, China

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Li Mengqi staring down at the camera during his gold medal match at Shanghai 2026.

Li Mengqi now has the honour of being China's second only Shanghai gold medallist as he held off Mete Gazoz 6-4 in a thriller to win the recurve men's title in the 2026 edition - stage two of the Hyundai World Cup.

Shooting in just his second ever stop on archery's premier international circuit - Medellin 2023 the first - Mengqi already proved he was one to watch in the final fours from Friday's individuals where he defeated Madrid 2025 victor Matias Grande, the week's number one seed Tang Chih-Chun, and then Paris 2024 Olympic Games gold medallist Kim Je Deok.

No doubt boosted by the earlier success in the mixed team gold medal match alongside Huang Yuwei, his quiet, calm confidence bled through to the action at the Riverside Financial Plaza as he overcame one Turkish archer in Berkim Tumer 6-2 to another in Gazoz 6-4.

The former Olympic, World and European champion had clawed back from a 4-0 deficit to take Mengqi to a fifth set and dropped 10, 10, 9, meaning his Chinese counterpart had to be perfect in the last end to emerge victorious - and he did with two in the minuscule X-ring, coming out on top at 6-4 in set points.

“I didn’t care too much about winning or losing, I just did my best,” said Mengqi, who joins Chen Wenyuan [2009] in Chinese triumphs at Shanghai. “Whether I win or lose, it’s up to fate. I feel that they [his internal and external calmness] are almost the same because usually as long as I practise the sport... in fact winning or losing is not very important.”

“The more important thing is to be yourself. I didn't think about it, so what if I have to shoot three 10s? As long as I do my own actions well and do what I should do, I feel comfortable.”

Had you not known who Mengqi was beforehand, you would've thought he'd rolled into international medal situations his whole life but it's actually quite the opposite.

Li Mengqi aiming during the Shanghai 2026 recurve men gold medal match.

The 22 year old was competing in his third international tournament and hadn't been in the Chinese team for 36 months before 2026.

He made himself a shoo-in for the national team though when he won the 2025 National Games last November - an enormous domestic Chinese multi-sport event held every four years - representing the northern Shandong province.

Whether it was that result or his clinic in the earlier eliminations against the top-ranked archers, to him it looked as if nothing was going to stop him from booking a ticket to Saltillo - the location of the 2026 World Cup Final.

Mengqi shot with a slight smirk - almost cheeky - throughout the afternoon and although he was certainly feeling himself after the result, the swathe of journalists, photographers and home fans throwing souvenirs for him to sign from the stands didn't shock him.

“I don’t really feel much about it, I think it’s pretty normal. I’ve seen athletes from our country, like table tennis and shooting players, they’re all this popular too.”

“I don’t think it's about breaking this drought [in Shanghai]. Maybe now we've reached a higher stage but it still takes time,” he opined when questioned why it has been so long for Chinese individual success in the city. “We have more young people now... it may still take some time to prove it.”

The closest China have come to a consistent individual superstar in recurve men was London 2012 bronze medallist and two time World Cup Final runner-up Dai Xiaoxiang but the crowd reaction to Mengqi's unique aura gave off the feeling that he is well on his way to be the country's next big name.

That ends all the action in Shanghai with archers next stop on the circuit stage three of the 2026 World Cup in Antalya, Türkiye.