Prathamesh Jawkar, a teenage Indian archer, stunned world number one Mike Schloesser of the Netherlands to win his first World Cup gold medal in the men's solo compound segment here in Shanghai on Saturday.
India won two gold medals in the non-Olympic compound section, with the mixed team of Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam beginning the country's tally by defeating top-seeded Koreans in World Cup Stage 2. This was the mixed pair duo's second World Cup gold medal, having won in the Antalya leg last month.
This was the mixed pair duo's second World Cup gold medal, having won in the Antalya leg last month. Prathamesh, who had already eliminated the Korean combination of Kim Jongho and Choi Yonghee, continued his giant-killing act in the men's compound individual final, defeating the Dutchman 149-148. The fact that the 19-year-old needed only one point from 15 arrows to upset the two-time previous world champion demonstrated his outstanding shooting at the highest level.
The one-point miss occurred in the first end, when both archers were neck and neck after starting with 29-all. Both of them hit the target with ease in the second, third, and fourth ends before the 29-year-old Dutchman failed in the fifth end, scoring a 9 to give the Indian teenager his first World Cup gold. Earlier this year, India's compound mixed team combo of Deotale and Jyothi stunned heavyweights Korea to win consecutive World Cup gold medals.
The pair carried forward its new-found chemistry and shot with composure to pip the top-seeded Korean team 156-155. Both the Indian duo and the seasoned Korean pair of Kim Jongho and Oh Yoohyun shot identical 39s out of 40 in each of the first three ends.
In the final end the Koreans cracked under pressure as Deotale and Jyothi came up with a 39 again to seal their back-to-back World Cup gold medals.
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