V. Jyothi Surekha collected an unprecedented third silver medal at the World archery championships here on Saturday.
Jyothi, who earlier helped India bag silver medals in compound women’s team and mixed team events, took another silver going down fighting in the women’s individual final to top-ranked Colombian Sara Lopez 146-144. This was the Indian’s sixth medal from the event.
Smooth sailing
The sixth-ranked Jyothi shot a perfect score to beat Amanda Mlinaric of Croatia 150-144 in the quarterfinals and Andrea Becerra of Mexico 148-146 in the semifinals to make it to her third final.
The Colombian gained a one-point lead in the first end and doubled it in the third. She had a three-point lead after the penultimate end.
Jyothi fought back to score a perfect 30 and take the fifth end and reduce the margin by one point.
Jyothi’s latest medal was India’s second individual silver at the World championships.
Another compound archer Rajat Chauhan was the first from the country to claim an individual silver at the 2015 World championships in Denmark.
Jyothi had won bronze medals in individual and women’s team events in 2019 and a team silver in 2017.
Most medals
According to World Archery, India “has collected the most medals by any country to have never won a world title, appearing in nine title matches and leaving with the silver each time, as well as winning two bronze medals.”
Abhishek Verma’s quest for a compound men’s individual medal ended in the quarterfinals as he was edged out by Dutchman Mike Schloesser 148-147.
In a recurve women’s individual quarterfinal, Ankita Bhakat lost to American Casey Kaufhold 6-2 to get out of the medal race on Sunday.