Indian archers failed to hit impress on the first day of competition at the Tokyo Olympics. Deepika Kumari, the world number one and one of India's medal hope finished ninth in the women's individual ranking round even as the South Koreans dominated the field with record-breaking shootings. The male trio of Pravin Jadhav, Atanu Das and Tarundeep Rai could manage only 31st, 35th and 37th places as Korean's first-time Olympian, 17-year-old Kim Je Deok showed his class in the men's ranking round. Later in the day, the Games will have its Opening Ceremony, starting at 4:30 PM IST. Catch highlights here:
11:37 AM IST: Overall, India men finished ninth with a combined score of 1961. In the mixed also, India are ninth with 1319 (total of two best scores -- Deepika Kumari's 663 and Pravin Jadhav's 656). India women didn't qualify for the Games.
It will be interesting to see who India chooses to partner Deepika Kumari in the mixed event -- her husband Atanu Das or Pravin Jadhav.
Both men's and women's individual Round of 32 and Round of 16 are scheduled for July 27 to 29. Men's individual medal rounds are on July 31, while women's individual medal rounds are on July 30.
Mixed team event will conclude on July 24. Men's team competition will conclude on July 26.
In the next round, Atanu Das meets Deng Yu-Cheng (Chinese Taipei), Pravin Jadhav meets Galsan Bazarzhapov (ROC), Tarundeep Rai meets Oleksii Hunbin (Ukrain).
11:30 AM IST: Here are the final standings after the end of Men's Individual Ranking
Korean teen sensation Kim Je Deok (688) finished top. American world record holder Ellison Brady (682) finished strongly to finish second ahead of Olympic record holder Kim Woojin (681). Another Korean, Oh Jinyek (680) finished fourth. Japan's Hiroki Muto is fifth with 678 points.
Indian failed to impress. Pravin Jadhav finished 31st with 656, ahead of more fancied and higher-ranked Atanu Das (653, 35th) and Tarundeep Rai (652, 37th). Rain was impressive in the final stretch, shooting 55 each in the ninth and tenth rounds. Atanu could manage only 52 and 53.
11:19 AM IST: After 66 arrows, Pravin Jadhav is 28th with 602 points, ahead of Atanu Das (600), 31st. Tarundeep Rai is 38th with 597.
Ellison Brady takes advantage of Oh Jinhyek slip-up. The American is now third going into the final set of arrows.
11:11 AM IST: World record holder Ellison Brady (565) is catching up with the Koreans, Kim Je Deok (572), Kim Woojin (567) and Oh Jinhyek (566), after 60 arrows.
Pravin moves to 26th with a 10-10-9-9-9-9 series. He has 549 points, which is one more than Atanu at 28th. Tarundeep is 38th with 542.
11:00 AM IST: Atanu shoots 52 in the ninth round, but Pravin produces 55. Pravin now 27th with 493, one more than Atanu at 30th. Tarundeep improves to 37th.
10:53 AM IST: Atanu Das climbs to 26th with 440 points after 56 in his 8th round. Pravin Jadhav slips to 30th with 438. Tarundeep Rai is 41st with 432.
Three Koreans, Kim Je Deok (460), Kim Woojin (455) and Oh Jinhyek (454) are the top three.
10:43 AM IST: Second half started. Pravin Jadhav and Atanu Das are 27th and 28th respectively with same points, 384 each. Tarundeep Rai, with 377, is 45th.
10:18 AM IST: Pravin Jadhav with 329 is the best-placed Indian, 30th, at the end of the first half. Atanu Das also has 329 but is 31st, while Tarundeep is 45th with 323.
Kim Je Deok leads with 345, five more than his Korean compatriot and legend KimWoojin. Kazakhstan's Denis Gankin is third with 338.
10:14 AM IST: One more set to go in the first half, and Atanu remains 29th with 275 points. His attempts in the fifth round produced 55 (two 10s, three 9s and one 8). But Pravin is 25th, with the same points. Tarundeep 29th with 271.
10:06 AM IST: Olympic record holder Kim Woojin of Korea overtakes compatriot Je Deok -- both on 227, while world record holder Ellison Brady is now fifth with 225. They are warming up.
10:03 AM IST: This is a disaster. Atanu shoots 9-9-9-9-8-8 in the fourth set and he is now 29th with 220 points, just one more than compatriot Pravin. Tarundeep is 48th with 214.
9:56 AM IST: Better from Atanu. 56 points (X-10-9-9-9-9) to move to 11th with a total of 168. Pravin Jadhav (163) moves to 35th, but Tarundeep is now 45th with 161.
Japan's Hiroki Muto is sensational so far (171), and is ahead of Korea's 17-year-old Kim Je Deok (170).
9:47 AM IST: Atanu Das drops to 14th after a poor second round. Just 54 (10-9-9-9-9-8). He now has 112 points after 12 arrows. Tarundeep (109) is 34th while Pravin Jadhav (109) is 38th.
9:37 AM IST: Very good start from Atanu Das. He's fifth after six arrows, with 58 points (X-10-10-10-9-9). Tarundeep Rai (55) and Pravin Jadhav (54) are 31st and 40th respectively.
9:12 AM IST: Records to beat!
- World record: 702 points by Brady Ellison of USA (Lima, 2019)
- Olympics record: 700 points by Kim Woojin of South Korea (Rio, 2016)
Woojin will be in action today. He's been assigned target 49A. The other two Koreans in the field are Oh Jinhyek and Kim Je Deok. 17-year-old Je Deok is one for the future. But expect him to do some damage to this illustrious field.
9:07 AMS IST: Targets assigned for Men's Individual Ranking round. Atanu Das = 20A, Pravin Jadhav = 22A and Tarundeep Rai = 24A.
8:54 AM IST: Deepika's reaction: "I feel my performance was good as well as bad... it was in between."
On her slip-up, she said: "I don't know why it was like that; I was trying to control my shots so that I could play better.
But she promises to come back strong. "I'm talking to myself, I'm controlling my emotions and trying to make myself better and better... I want to show my best performance here and I will show that in my next rounds."
8:43 PM IST: Also, the opening session of rowing competitions is over. 22 heats in Men's Single Sculls, Women's Single Sculls, Men's Double Sculls, Women's Double Sculls, Men's Quadruple Sculls and Women's Quadruple Sculls at Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo Bay on Friday.
And the biggest surprise was Germany, two-time defending champions, dropping to repechage in Men's Quadruple Sculls after finishing behind Poland, Italy, Estonia and Norway in their heat.
8:41 AM IST: Read women's archery individual ranking round report HERE.
8:30 AM IST: Little earlier, France break men's double sculls 'Olympic Best' with Hugo Boucheron and Matthieu Androdias clocking 6:10.45, to better the old mark of 6:11.30 set by New Zealand at London 2012.
In rowing, there are no World or Olympic Records, only best times. And the reason - the difference in water conditions from course to course.
7:37 AM IST: Men's Individual Ranking Round starts 9:30 AM IST. India will have three archers - Atanu Das, Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav.
7:33 AM IST: What does it mean for Deepika? Not so bad return. She will meet Bhutan's Karma, who finished 56th with a personal best score of 616, in the round of 64.
7:31 AM IST: Record Alert!
Olympic Record for South Korean An San. Her 680 is seven more than Lina Herasymenko's previous past record of 673 points. The next three also surpassed 673. Sensational.
The team event, which use the combined results of each country's three archers, has also seen a new Olympic Record set by South Korea – 2032 points, ahead of Mexico (1976) and USA (1970).
7:28 AM IST: Three South Koreans at the top - An San (680), Jang Minhee (677) and Kang Chae-young (675); followed by Alejandra Valencia of Mexico (674) and Mackenzie Brown of US (668). Another Mexican, Aida Roman is sixth (665). Japan's Azusa Yamauchi (665) and ROC's (Russian) Ksenia Perova (664) are ahead of Deepika.
7:25 AM IST: Another poor round. Only 54 (X-10-9-9-9-7) from the 27-year-old Indian. She finished individual ranking round ninth with 663 points.
7:19 AM IST: Pressure telling! Deepika shoots a poor 53 in the penultimate lot (9-9-9-9-9-8). She is seventh with 609. Another six arrows to improve her position. A lot will depend on how others shoot.
7:12 AM IST: Four 10s and two Xs for 58 points. Deepika moves to sixth after the end of the 10th lot. She has 556 total points. An San (568) still leads, followed by her South Korean compatriot Kang Chae-young (564).
7:00 AM IST: Slight improvement. Deepika shoots 56 in the 7th lot (X-X-10-10-9-7). Her total is 498.
6:51 AM IST: A very poor effort. Deepika shoots 53 (10-9-9-9-9-7) to slip to 8th. She now has a total of 442.
6:46 AM IST: Second half started.
Deepika Kumari shoots 55 (X-10-9-9-9-8). Still fourth. An San becomes the first to breach 400 points (401 after 42 arrows).
6:32 AM IST: Here are the records to beat
- World record (692 points) by Kang Chaeyoung of South Korea in 2019
- Olympic record (673 points) by Herasymenko Lina of Ukraine in 1996 Atlanta
6:27 AMS IST: Deepika's recap: 36 arrows - 334 points (7 Xs and 17 10s).
An San has 11 Xs and 22 10s.
6:24 AM IST: Another strong show from Deepika. Guess what! She's now fourth. She shoots 57 (X-10-10-9-9-9) to finish the first half with 334 points.
And not so surprisingly, two Koreans are now heading the field. An San with 345, and Jang Minhee with 339. American Mackenzie Brown is third with 336.
6:20 AM IST: Brilliant from Deepika. Almost perfect. 59 points (X-10-10-10-10-9) from her fifth lot. She has 227 points. Now moves to 10th.
6:13 AM IST: Elsewhere in Tokyo Bay, Men's Single Scull Heat has just been completed. It will be followed by Women's Single Sculls Heats.
6:10 AM IST: Well, Deepika is losing her grip. She is now 14th with 218 points. Shot her lowest points in the fourth lot, 51 (X-X-8-8-8-7).
Meanwhile, An San extends her lead at the top with 230 points. Second is Veronika of Ukraine (225). Also with 225 is Valencia Alejendra.
6:02 AM IST: An San shoots another 58. She now has 174, three more than Veronika (171) after the third lot. Deepika remains 10th. She shoots 56, one more than the previous lot. Her sequence: X-X-9-9-9-9. She has now a total of 167 points, tied with Roman Aida of Mexico. Ties are broken with 10's, then with inner 10's (X's).
5:58 AM IST: Each archer will shoot 72 arrows (12 lots/groupings of six arrows) to decide the ranking. The first-ranked archer meets the lowest-ranked, 64th archer, the second against the 63rd, and so on, in the next round.
5:50 AM IST: Ukraine's Marchenko Veronika with 58 was leading but, South Korea's An San has taken over the lead after the second lot - two 58's for 116.
And Deepika Kumari slips to 10th, with a total of 111. She shot 55 points in the second lot - 10, 10, 9, 9, 9, 8.
5:46 AM IST: Deepika is 8th after the first six arrows. Strong start but poor finish in the first lot. Her sequence: X-10-10-9-9-8. She has 56 points.
5:37 AM IST: There will be five archery events in these Games -- Men's individual, Men's team, Women's Individual, Women's team and Mixed team. India will compete in four events, except the Women's team event.
All events are taking place at Yumenoshima Park.
5:33 AM IST: This is women's individual ranking round. Deepika Kumari, the top-ranked archer in the world, is the lone Indian in the fray.
5:27 AM IST: Deepika Kumari has been assigned Target 47A on the Start List.
