Flying Dutchman converts perfect start into perfect finish

Nothing in his head-to-heads matched Mr Perfect Mike “The Flying Dutchman” Schloesser’s qualification performance. (Nothing could.) But the reigning World Champion outdoors kept his focus, turning the perfect start into the perfect finish.

Against Reo Wilde in the compound men’s final, top seed Mike found himself a point down after six arrows. Then he went back to his 10-hitting ways, not dropping a single arrow out of the middle in the rest of the match.

States man Reo put three more out and left the field with 145 points, and silver, to Mr Perfect’s 147.

“I just kept focused on the prize,” said Schloesser. What a tournament for a young man who has achieved more in the last 18 months than many will do in their entire careers.

The compound women’s final was an all-African affair.

Jeanine van Kradenburg and Danelle Wentzel – both representing South Africa’s national team – were pretty level until the end. Danelle was riding a one-point lead into the last end before Jeanine levelled it with a 30.

The match went to a tiebreaker, where both archers shot similar 10s. Measurement went in Jeanine’s favour – and she took gold.

“The South African federation sent us here, one of the biggest tournaments in the world, to see what we could do,” said van Kradenburg. The team did the country proud.

World Field Champion Toja Cerne drilled her last four arrows into the 10 to reverse a one-point deficit heading into the final end of her compound women’s bronze medal match with the USA’s Lexi Keller. 

Cerne, from Slovenia, took that last podium spot 146 points to 145.

The top ranked compound man in the world, Pierre-Julien Deloche had the full support of a 1,000-plus strong French crowd in his bronze final.

But neither Deloche nor opponent Chance Beaubouef looked comfortable throughout much of their match. PJ took the full 20 seconds allowed to shoot many of his arrows, squeaking executions in and letting his arrows fly just moments before his clock hit zero.

The Frenchman found his groove in the fourth end and finished with a flourish: 10-10-10, 10-10-10 and a three point win with 146 over three-time Vegas Shoot winner from the States, Chance.

PJ bowed and acknowledged that appreciative crowd.