Korea averaged 9.56 as a team in that match, with Woojin putting all six arrows into the 10-ring.
That is now close to the minimum level required on most days to challenge the seemingly inevitable Koreans, and increasing their own averages will certainly be on Vietnam’s agenda in the build-up to Japan.
Quoc Phong was eliminated earlier in the hot morning session at the Yuanshen Sports Centre – where temperatures climbed above 30 degrees Celsius – but his 6-4 loss to Kazakhstan’s Ilfat Abdullin became, in his eyes, a blessing in disguise, helping him identify what needed improving for the team event.
“After losing my individual match, I felt I needed to figure out what adjustments to make – especially for the team event,” he said. “I really tried to focus on the clock and my form to improve, so that I could better support my teammates in the team matches.”
India and Japan remain the frontrunners to challenge Korea later this season, but Vietnam – now the second-highest-finishing Asian recurve men’s team in Shanghai – has certainly established itself as one to watch ahead of Japan.
That can wait for later, though, as for now the entire Vietnamese contingent will celebrate Thursday’s history-making feat.
India also impressed on Thursday, upsetting Olympic and world championship gold medallist Korea 5-1 in recurve women’s team. Korea later recovered to claim bronze.
Competition continues this afternoon in Shanghai with compound and recurve mixed team eliminations.
