The world record steals the headlines, but 2023 Asian Championship mixed silver medallist Yadav individually put in his best 72-arrow performance on archery’s premier international circuit which lasted longer and later in Madrid compared to other World Cups due to the increased number of participants and the qualifications commencing at 16h30 not 14h00 local time.
The process made tougher on archers due to the searing heat in the heart of Spain.
“The rhythm kicks in and you just keep going with the flow until the last ten hits,” added Yadav. “There are people around you are saying, ‘You need to do it like this, stay calm,’ I’m like, ‘OK, I know what I’m doing.’”
“I shot it [716] earlier in the nationals and now I’m here with the same so I’m happy I’m able to keep it consistent throughout well and it was interesting and playful.”
A World Cup pole position, a personal best and a world record. Not a bad day’s at the office for Yadav who is in only his second World Cup season and last month successfully booked a spot on India’s team for the Gwangju 2025 Hyundai World Archery Championships.
The same can be said for his world record-making partner in crime and compound women’s Asian Games champion Jyothi, also on her way to Korea in September.
She too set an international personal best at 715 [35Xs] simultaneously grabbing top seed in her event.
“I have been shooting good this year but somewhere I just felt there was something left behind,” said Jyothi who hadn’t poled in the prior three World Cups this year. “But today, since the morning practice I felt really, really good with the way I was shooting, and I just wanted to shoot the same way in the qualification.”
Competition in Madrid resumes with compound team eliminations on Wednesday morning, followed by recurve qualifying in the afternoon.
