At the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Saltillo, Mexico, India’s Dhiraj Bommadevara and the Czech Republic’s Marie Horackova captured the recurve titles after two days of intense competition at the historic Plaza de Armas, according to reports from local media outlets including Estrella Digital.
Bommadevara Secures Recurve Gold in a Shoot-Off Thriller
The recurve men’s final delivered high drama as Dhiraj Bommadevara faced Japan’s Junya Nakanishi for the championship. According to El Tiempo, the title match remained deadlocked after five sets, forcing a single-arrow tiebreak to decide the gold medal. Nakanishi posted a nine, while Bommadevara sealed the victory with a 10, securing a 6-5 match win and the gold for India.
Bommadevara’s path to the top of the podium included a 7-1 victory over Turkey’s Berkim Tumer in the quarterfinals, followed by another 7-1 win against France’s Jean-Charles Valladont in the semifinals. On the opposite side of the bracket, Nakanishi edged Italy’s Mauro Nespoli via a shoot-off in the quarterfinals before defeating Turkey’s Mete Gazoz 6-0 in the semifinals.
Horackova Shines in Women’s Recurve Competition
In the women’s recurve bracket, Marie Horackova of the Czech Republic navigated a challenging field to claim the gold medal.
The women’s podium featured Horackova taking the gold, Germany’s Katharina Bauer claiming the silver, and Turkey’s Elif Gokkır securing the bronze. Gokkır earned her spot on the podium after defeating Valencia in a closely contested bronze-medal match that extended to a tiebreak.
Packed Crowds and Local Medals in Saltillo
Set against the backdrop of the Cathedral of Santiago and the Palacio de Gobierno, the Plaza de Armas drew capacity crowds, particularly for Sunday’s recurve sessions where tickets had sold out in advance. World Archery acknowledged the city’s organizational success during the event.
Host nation Mexico secured two medals during Saturday’s compound competition. Dafne Quintero captured a silver medal in the women’s compound event, while Rodrigo González de Alba added a bronze in the men’s division, setting an enthusiastic tone for the weekend’s recurve showdowns.
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