In reality, the 22-year-old was competing in only his third international tournament and had not featured in the Chinese national team setup for three years prior to 2026.
He effectively secured his return by winning the 2025 National Games last November – one of China’s largest domestic multi-sport events – representing Shandong province.
Whether it was that confidence or his superb eliminations run against some of the world’s highest-ranked archers, Mengqi never appeared overwhelmed by the occasion.
He shot throughout the afternoon with an almost playful calmness and, despite the crowd of journalists, photographers and fans waiting for autographs afterwards, he remained notably unfazed.
“I don’t really feel much about it, I think it’s pretty normal,” he said. “I’ve seen athletes from our country, like table tennis and shooting players, they’re all this popular too.”
Asked about ending China’s long wait for another individual champion in Shanghai, Mengqi was measured in his response.
“I don’t think it’s about breaking this drought,” he said. “Maybe now we’ve reached a higher stage but it still takes time.”
“We have more young people now… it may still take some time to prove it.”
The closest China has previously come to a consistent recurve men’s individual superstar was London 2012 bronze medallist and two-time World Cup Final runner-up Dai Xiaoxiang.
Yet the reaction from the home crowd in Shanghai suggested Mengqi may already be on his way to becoming the nation’s next major name.
This concluded the second stage of the 2026 Hyundai Archery World Cup season in Shanghai, with the circuit next heading to Antalya, Türkiye for stage three.
