Oznur Cure Girdi caps a dream performance with Paralympic gold.

At the Paris 2024 Paralympics, 26-year-old Turkish archer Oznur Cure Girdi cemented her status as a para archery star. She set a new compound women's world record in the ranking round, surpassing 700 points, and maintained her exceptional form through the elimination rounds.

Oznur secured her first Paralympic gold by defeating Iran's Fatemeh Hemmati 144-141 in the final. The two archers were tied after the first end, but Oznur consistently hit 10s and nines, building a crucial 2-point lead. By the final end, she held a 3-point advantage and confidently secured the victory.

Oznur’s dominance throughout the competition was undeniable. She entered each match as the top contender and never faltered. “I believed in the medal already after the ranking round and my world record,” Oznur shared.

The moment she clinched the gold, Oznur was overcome with emotion, shedding tears of joy. “I believed I would reach it! And now it's around my neck! I'm so happy. I worked really hard for this. It's great!” Despite her emotional celebration, Oznur remained composed during the most critical moments, attributing her mental strength to rigorous training with her psychologist. “We practiced a lot on controlling my nerves. It helped me during the competition. I tried to feel the pressure during training, so it was easier to manage during the competition.”

Silver went to Fatemeh Hemmati, who earlier had defeated defending champion Phoebe Paterson Pine in the semifinals. Paterson Pine narrowly missed out on a medal, losing the bronze match to her British teammate Jodie Grinham in a dramatic finish.

Grinham's journey to bronze was particularly remarkable as she competed while 6.5 months pregnant. Despite trailing after the third end, she pulled off two 10s in the final moments to clinch her first individual Paralympic medal. “Especially with archery, you have to shoot the last arrow. The match is not over until the last arrow,” Grinham remarked. She plans to compete in the next Paralympics in Los Angeles.

The Paris competition continues with W1 and compound men's elimination and medal matches on Sunday.