Archery World Cup Stage 3: India's Deepika Kumari Wins Recurve Individual Event, Completes Hat-Trick Of Gold Medals

The seasoned and in-form Deepika Kumari was a constant in India's remarkable haul of three gold medals at the World Cup Stage 3 in Paris on Sunday, an unprecedented sweep for the country at the mega-event ahead of next month's Tokyo Olympics. Deepika blanked Russia's Elena Osipova 6-0 in the final of the women's individual recurve event to complete a hat-trick of gold medals in one day. She had earlier been a part of the mixed and women's gold-winning Indian teams. In the mixed final, Deepika and husband Atanu Das, who are India's best medal hope in archery in the Olympics, bounced back from a 0-2 deficit to down the Netherland's Sjef van den Berg and Gabriela Schloesser 5-3.

This was after the women's recurve team of Deepika, Ankita Bhakat and Komalika Bari notched up the gold medal with a comfortable win over Mexico, shrugging off the disappointment of missing Olympic qualification last week.

"It feels amazing. First time we won the final together, it feels so happy," Atanu said after their win.

The two got married after a two-year courtship and would be celebrating their first wedding anniversary on June 30.

"It feels we are made for each other. But in the ground we are not couple but like just other competitors, we motivate, support and back each other," Atanu said.

Incidentally, this was also a first mixed pair gold medal for the former world number one Deepika who has five silver and three bronze medals in the event.

Her last mixed pair final appearance was also with Atanu in Antalya World Cup 2016. The duo had lost to Korea.

Deepika, who had earlier spearheaded the women's team to a second successive World Cup gold medal this year, said: "It feels happy."