Aditi Swami’s tryst with history continued. A day after winning India’s maiden gold medal in the World Archery Championships as a member of the women’s compound team, the 17-year-old became the youngest-ever world champion and claimed the country’s first-ever individual title at senior level, beating Mexico’s Andrea Bercerra 149-147 in the individual women’s compound event final in Berlin on Saturday. 

Aditi perhaps is going through the best phase of her career. Only last month she won the Under-18 world titles in both individual and team categories in the Youth Championships in Limerick, thus becoming both the cadet and senior world champion at the same time. 

Hours later, India got its second world champion when Ojas Deotalebecame the firstever male archer from the country to win gold. Ojas hit perfect 150 points in the final against Poland’s Lukasz Przybylski who scored 149 in men’s compound individual event. India thus ended with three gold and one bronze medal in the championship. 

Mexican Becerra, who faced Swami in the team final on Friday, could do little against a near-perfect Aditi, who ended up missing the perfect score of 150 by just one point. 

It was always a catch-up game for Becerra who lost 147-149. Sixth seed Aditi took a onepoint lead after the first two ends (60-59) by shooting two perfect scores. The pressure saw Becerra, who knocked out defending champion Sara Lopez in the last-16, falter in the third end to extend Swami’s lead to two points (90-88) and three (120-117) after fourth end. Aditi hit her only nine of the match in the fifth but that could not stop her from reigning supreme.