India’s hopes of clinching their first-ever Olympic archery medal were dashed as Deepika Kumari fell to South Korea’s Suhyeon Nam in a nail-biting quarterfinal in the Women’s Individual event at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
The intense match went down to the wire, with both archers displaying exceptional skill and composure. Deepika and Nam battled through five sets, with scores of 28-26, 25-28, 29-28, 27-29, and 27-29, before Nam ultimately secured her place in the semifinals.
Nam, just 19 years old, began the match with a flawless 10, setting a high bar for the competition. Deepika, however, matched the pressure, posting a solid 28 in the first set to take an early lead. Despite the setback, Nam quickly equalized in the second set, capitalizing on a wayward shot from Deepika that scored only 6, leveling the match at 2-2.
The third set saw both archers neck and neck, but Deepika managed to edge out Nam with a final bullseye, taking the set 29-28 and putting herself just one set away from victory at 4-2. However, Nam fought back fiercely in the fourth set, tying the match at 4-4 after Deepika faltered with an 8.
In the decisive final set, Nam once again showcased her consistency with a perfect 10 on the opening shot. Despite Deepika’s best efforts, Nam’s precision with her last shot, which barely found the bullseye, sealed the match at 6-4, ending Deepika’s Olympic journey.
Earlier in the competition, Deepika had advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Germany’s Michelle Kroppen in a closely contested 1/8 elimination round. She had also overcome the Netherlands’ Quinty Roeffen 6-2, joining her compatriot Bhajan Kaur in the Round of 16.
4o
