An San takes maiden World Cup title in Tlaxcala

An San won her maiden Hyundai Archery World Cup Final crown after an enthralling encounter with teammate Choi Misun at the season-ending grand finale in Tlaxcala, Mexico.

The world number one beat the 2015 World Cup champion 6-4 in a close-fought five-set encounter, shooting 29 in the final set to seal the win after the archers were tied 4-4 after four sets.

An, 21, adds a first World Cup title to her three Olympic gold medals from Tokyo 2020.

"I'm so happy with that," said An San. "I didn't give up and talked a lot with my coach and finally I've made it."

"Even though I did the Tokyo Olympics, it was without spectators. Today there were even more spectators than the Olympics, so it was a bit nervous for me, but I tried to enjoy it."

Both archers had won a stage each leading up to the Final in Tlaxcala, with Choi taking victory on home soil in Gwangju before An won the most recent stage in Medellin, Colombia.

Mexico had brought success before for Choi, who claimed her 2015 Hyundai Archery World Cup title in Mexico City, and it looked like it could deliver again for the 2016 Olympic gold medallist.

Choi beat world number two Bryony Pitman in the quarterfinal 7-3 before getting past home favourite Alejandra Valencia in straight sets in her semi.

An's route to the gold medal match was tighter, getting past Chinese Taipei's Kuo Tzu Ying 6-4 before edging past Peng Chia-Mao by the same score line to set up the gold medal final many had wanted.

Choi had raced into a 2-0 lead in the first set thanks to a perfect 30, before An levelled proceedings in the second, as her opponent shot a seven in between two tens.

The hotly anticipated battle between the pair lived up to expectations, as they then exchanged sets once more to set up a deciding fifth set, which An sealed with a ten from her final arrow to take her first Hyundai Archery World Cup title in Mexico.

Peng took the bronze medal, edging out Mexico's Valencia 7-3.

The Chinese Taipei archer went 2-0 ahead in the first set and never relinquished her lead throughout the five-set encounter to add World Cup bronze to her team World Championship gold from 2019.

Sportsbeat 2022