Archery World Cup: 16-year-old Aditi breaks U-18 compound world record

MEDELLIN: The 16-year-old debutant Aditi Gopichand Swamy broke the Under 18 compound world record to top the women's qualification round in the third stage of the Archery World Cup, here.

The Indian teenager topped the compound women's field with 711 points in the 72-arrow 50-meter qualification on Tuesday to beat the previous best of 705, set by USA's Liko Arreola in May.

Aditi finished the qualifications ahead of stage one winner and compatriot Jyothi Surekha Vennam, and home favourite Sara Lopez.

"I feel amazing. I am very happy. I didn't expect that I was going to shoot like that and that score, but now I'm very happy with that score because I'm only 16 years old," Aditi told World Archery.

Jyothi, who equaled the world record score in the women's compound event qualification round at the Archery World Cup 2023 stage 1 in Antalya, finished second in the qualification round with 708. Parneet Kaur placed sixth with 700 points.

The Indian women's compound team of Jyothi, Aditi and Parneet topped the seedings with 2119 points in the qualifications, just one point off the world record set by Korea last week in Singapore.

In the men's compound qualifiers, former World Cup champion Abhishek Verma, competing in his first archery World Cup of the year, was the best-placed Indian in eighth place with a score of 707.

In the compound mixed team, Abhishek and Aditi combined for 1418, topping the qualifications ahead of the Colombians and Danes.

Ojas Pravin Deotale finished 13th with 703 and Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar finished 19th with 702. Rajat Chauhan, with 698 placed 28th.

Compound men's team of Abhishek, Ojas and Prathamesh had to settle for the second seed with 2112 points.