China within grasp of maiden World Cup gold at Antalya 2026

Chinese cheers rang around Türkiye on Wednesday as the compound men's team secured their maiden appearance in a World Cup gold medal match at Antalya 2026 - stage three of this year's circuit.

The seventh seed from qualifications, Liao Jiahao, Shi Jingyu and Liu Jinyi edged Germany and Korea by one point each before beating the second-ranked team in the world India, 235-232 for the historic feat, with celebrations from the archers, coaches and fellow teammates in the stands matching the moment in an ever-hot Gloria Sports Arena.

As he was in Shanghai - when China defeated India also, albeit a different team - Jinyi's celebrations were beyond ecstatic, a poster of the fast-rising enthusiasm in the country for compound.

“I wouldn't say it was a huge surprise,” said the 19-year-old athlete who seeded 16th in yesterday's qualifications. “Reaching this stage proves that our training and technique are solid. I’m also incredibly grateful to the coaches and leadership for their constant support and guidance.”

“While I’m certainly excited to have made it this far, it didn't come as a shock to me. I’ve loved the compound bow since I was young, so I was overjoyed and felt very lucky when compound archery was successfully added to the program for the LA28 Olympic Games.”

“It’s brought so much happiness to compound archers across the country. China is actively developing the sport, allowing more talent and outstanding athletes to try their hand at it and enter the competitive arena; I believe this is cultivating a wealth of sports talent for our nation.”

Whilst Jinyi shot brilliantly, performing perfectly in the semifinal with all eight of his arrows 10s or Xs, his ability to remain calm against Kushal Dalal, Sahil Rajesh Jadhav and Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru is what he is most proud of.

Whilst it was young Thirumuru instead of Ojas Pravin Deotale - following India's trials for the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya after Shanghai - and Qi Xiangshuo instead of Jiahao, two of the biggest Asian nations were also part of a pulsating bronze medal contest in China last month.

They tied 234-234 on points before doing two - not one - shootoffs despite China initially thinking they had nicked it at the Yuanshen Sports Centre.

Jinyi was one of the more aggrieved athletes at the time before he and his teammates went on to grab the bronze, but although still someone who wears their emotions on their sleeve - with Michea Godano of Italy in the earlier 1/8 match urging him to lower his shouts on the shooting line - he managed to channel his pure passion into exquisite archery.

Not something easy considering there were light gusts of wind throughout the morning session.

“Competing against them [India] has felt better each time. My previous international outing - which might have been my first - was a bit tentative; I held back and didn't shoot as boldly or aggressively as I could have.”

“But in this match, I felt accustomed to the pressure of the international stage and managed to really showcase my skills. That said, there’s still room for improvement,” added Jinyi.

“Moving forward, I’ll work hard to refine my technique and team coordination so I’m fully prepared for the next match and future international competitions.”

China shall face off against Denmark on Saturday, who recently missed out on a podium finish with fourth place at the European Outdoor Championships.

Competition in Antalya continues this afternoon with recurve qualifying currently ongoing at the Gloria Sports Arena.

Finals: Antalya 2026

• Compound men team: Denmark versus China
• Compound women team: Mexico versus Türkiye 

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