“I really wanted to go to the Asian Games, but I can’t, and that’s okay. I want to go to the World Cup Final and I will try my best on Sunday.”
Absent or not, An San’s stardom is synonymous with her beloved Korea and around the world, and her failure to make the team for Paris 2024 sent shockwaves through archery circles.
Last year she returned to the top flight of the sport but, with Gwangju hosting the World Championships, the increased pressure of performing as the hometown hero on the horizon throughout the 2025 outdoor season would have been a lot to think about.
Whilst she is disappointed not to be flying out to Aichi-Nagoya, it does position 2026 as one of the quieter years for An San, much as it was before her meteoric rise in 2021.
To become a back-to-back World Cup overall gold medallist would be an impressive comeback after missing out on the top podium at Gwangju, which would have been a gut-wrenching moment despite her securing the bronze medal. Now she has the chance to book the all-important ticket to Saltillo.
Sunday will also be a busy day for Germany’s Moritz Wieser as he dispatched Türkiye’s best Mete Gazoz 6-0 to reach his maiden recurve men’s final four.
He and Katharina Bauer are set to face Italy in the recurve mixed team bronze medal match in the morning.
“I just tried to focus on my shots,” said the 2021 European Championship bronze medallist. “I had a really good feeling for my shot today, throughout the whole elimination round, and I just tried to keep pushing, keep pushing, keep pushing.”
With qualification and eliminations now complete, the next time we see Wieser and An San will be on Sunday for recurve finals day, with the compound medal matches taking place tomorrow.
