The Paris 2024 Olympic archery competition reached a crescendo in the quarterfinals, with dramatic upsets and intense matchups showcasing the sport’s unpredictability and skill at the highest level.Turkish archer Mete Gazoz, the reigning Olympic champion, saw his journey come to an end in a nail-biting quarterfinal match against South Korea’s Kim Woojin. Gazoz had earlier staged a remarkable comeback in the round of 16, overturning a 5-1 deficit against French archer Thomas Chirault to win 6-5. However, despite taking an early 2-0 lead in the quarterfinals, Gazoz ultimately fell to Kim 6-4 in a closely contested match.The quarterfinals also spelled the end for world number one Marcus D’Almeida of Brazil. D’Almeida, who had been the top-ranked archer for over a year and was considered a key medal hope for Brazil, was eliminated by Kim Woojin in a decisive 7-1 victory. Kim’s performance was nearly flawless, hitting the maximum score on 11 out of 12 arrows, showcasing why he’s considered ‘the Simone Biles of archery’.Other notable eliminations included Mexican archer Matías Grande, who lost a close 6-4 match to French archer Baptiste Addis, and Canadian Eric Peters, who fell 6-2 to Italian Mauro Nespoli in the round of 16.The day’s events have set the stage for an exciting semifinal, with Kim Woojin emerging as a formidable contender for the gold medal. As the competition progresses, the pressure mounts on the remaining archers to perform at their absolute best in pursuit of Olympic glory.
Key points
- Reigning Olympic champion Mete Gazoz was eliminated in the quarterfinals by South Korea’s Kim Woojin.
- World number one Marcus D’Almeida of Brazil was also knocked out by Kim Woojin in a decisive 7-1 victory.
- Kim Woojin emerged as a dominant force, hitting the maximum score on 11 out of 12 arrows in his match against D’Almeida.
- The quarterfinals saw several close matches and upsets, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the Olympic archery competition.
