Archery World Cup Medellin: Aditi Swami sets new U18 world record; finishes top in compound ranking

Aditi Gopichand Swami smashed the U18 World record as she topped the compound women’s field at the Archery World Cup Stage II in Medellin, Colombia on Tuesday.

Fellow archers Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Parneet Kaur finished second and sixth respectively to ensure that the Indian women’s team were seeded first in the compound women’s team matches.

Swami shot an incredible 711 out of a possible 720 points, beating the U18 world record by 6 points, earlier set by American Liko Arreola. Vennam shot 708, one point more than the home favourite Sara Lopez while Kaur finished inside the top 10 with a score of 700.

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Speaking to World Archery, Swami said, “I feel amazing, I am very happy.

“I didn’t expect that I was going to shoot like that and that score, but now I’m very happy with that score because I’m only 16 years old.”

A combined score of 2119 for the Indian compound women’s team ensured that they finished top of the seedings. Their total was only one point off the world record set by Korea a week prior in Singapore.

In men’s compound, Abhishek Verma finished eighth with a total of 707 points, level with Sawyer Sullivan (USA) and Matthias Fullerton (Denmark). But Fullerton (32) and Sullivan (25) scored more bulls-eyes than Verma (24) and finished ahead of him in sixth and seventh respectively.

Verma will shoot with Swami in the compound mixed team matches where India are seeded first as well.

India are also seeded second in the men’s compound team field after Ojas Pravin Deotale (703) and Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar (702) finished 13th and 19th respectively.

The elimination rounds for the team matches will be held on Wednesday along with the qualification rounds for individual recurve.