□ Chen Shaqiang, Morning Post reporter; Lin Shengjie, intern
Yesterday, the 2010 "Lujiazui Finance City Cup" International Archery Federation World Cup (Shanghai Station) officially commenced. In the women's recurve bow preliminary competition, despite being disrupted by a heavy rainstorm at noon, all four Chinese team members, including Cheng Ming and Zhu Shanshan, successfully advanced to the next round. However, due to the impact of the heavy rain, the results for the men's competition will be announced this morning.
This World Cup is the best training opportunity before the Asian Games, so the Chinese archery team has dispatched their entire Asian Games lineup to participate. Regarding the performance on the first day, Mu Yong, the head of the Chinese delegation, commented that "the rookies already possess the capability to take over, but they are all young and lack experience in major competitions."
It is worth noting that starting from noon yesterday, the expected heavy rainstorm arrived, presenting a significant challenge to the athletes. Especially the downpour just before the afternoon session caused the match to be delayed by more than 20 minutes. The game only resumed when the rain began to subside. Such weather conditions undoubtedly affected the accuracy and drawing of the bows for the competitors. Nevertheless, Tian Yuling, the head coach of the Chinese archery team, stated that the weather would have an equal impact on all participating athletes. Ultimately, the results would still depend on each athlete's raw abilities. The organizers also mentioned that it is possible to delay the competition if the weather becomes extremely severe.
Additionally, according to the organizers, in order to increase public understanding and enthusiasm for archery, the general public and archery enthusiasts can enter the venue free of charge to watch the matches until September 3rd. On the final day, the organizers will set up an archery experience zone outside the finals venue. Audience members with final match tickets can enjoy the fun of archery for free under the guidance of coaches.
(Source: Shanghai Morning Post)