Asian Games champion Jyothi Surekha Vennam’s incredible presence of mind helped her bag a stunning hat-trick of gold medals as she spearheaded India’s dominance at the ongoing Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai here on Saturday.
The world No. 3 Jyothi fought past tournament top seed Andrea Becerra of Mexico in a tight shoot-off finish 146=146 (9*-9) to complete a rare feat during the season-opening global showpiece.
It also matched her feat at the last year’s Hangzhou Asian Games where 27-year-old Vijayawada archer returned with a hattrick of gold medals, winning individual, women’s team and mixed team events.
In the morning session, India underlined their supremacy in the non-Olympic compound category to make a clean sweep of team events, winning men’s team, women’s team and mixed team events with Jyothi featuring in two of them.
Jyothi, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur dropped just four points to trounce Italy 236-225 in the women’s compound team event to open their account with a gold medal.
The men’s team of Abhishek Verma, Priyansh and Prathamesh Fuge then went one step better as they missed just two points en route to defeating Netherlands’ Mike Schloesser, Sil Pater and Stef Willems 238-231.
The mixed team completed the sweep when the second-seeded Jyothi and Verma warded off a late resurgence from their Estonian rivals - Lisell Jaatma and Robin Jaatma - to win 158-157 in a thrilling finish.
The women’s compound team, who qualified as top seed, dropped just four points from 24 arrows to down sixth seeded Italy in the first match of the day.
In the first three ends of six arrows each, Jyothi, Aditi and Parneet missed the perfect 10 only twice to take a handsome 178-171 lead over Marcella Tonioli, Irene Franchini and Elisa Roner.
In the fourth end, the Indians dropped two points but it did not matter much as they nailed the gold with an 11-point margin.
The men’s team, who qualified as the fourth seed, put up a near flawless show to defeat their Dutch opponents.
They began with a perfect round of 60 and dropped just two points in the next two ends, before sealing the win with another perfect 60 in the final set of six arrows.
In the compound mixed team event, Jyothi and Abhishek took a three-point lead, starting off with a perfect round of 40.
The three-point drop in the first end proved decisive for Estonian archers who went on to shoot three perfect rounds of 40 each but the Indians held their nerves to seal the issue.
Leading 119-117, the Indian duo needed a minimum score of 39 points out of a maximum 40 in the final end. They did just that to bag the country’s third gold.
Jyothi then returned in the afternoon session to become the individual champion as well.
The Indian struggled to get a perfect round in the first three ends as Andrea raced to an 88-87 lead.
Jyothi finally managed a perfect round in the fourth end when she drilled in three 10s with two X (closer to the centre), while Andrea also matched the Indian to retain her one-point lead.
In the fifth round, Andrea faltered under pressure to drop two points, while Jyothi scored a 29 to level it 146-all to force a shoot-off.
Both shot nine-all in the shoot-off but Jyothi’s arrow was closer to the inner-ring to seal her third gold.
Priyansh is also in the hunt for an individual medal in the compound segment.
Medal rounds in the recurve section will be played on Sunday and India are eyeing two gold from the Olympic discipline.
The Indian men’s team will take on Olympic champions South Korea in the gold medal clash.
Deepika Kumari is in fray for an individual medal and will play her semifinal against South Korean rival in the women’s recurve section.
