Mete Gazoz defends Berlin title with straight-set victory over Bae Jaehyeon

Turkey’s Mete Gazoz beat Korean debutant Bae Jaehyeon in the recurve men’s final at the fourth stage of the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Berlin, Germany to successfully defend the gold medal he won at this tournament in 2018.

“I really love to shoot in this venue. I can read the wind really easily and know where to aim. I’m really happy to shoot here and everything went really well,” said Mete.

“Our team final wen to a shoot-off and before this individual match I said, ‘okay, enough shoot-offs’. No more. I can beat him in straight sets.”

The world number five was quoted after the eliminations in Berlin as saying he’d finish this final faster than he did in 2018. (He beat Lee Woo Seok with an excellent tiebreak 10 last year.)

He delivered as promised, out-classing his Korean opponent in the arena.

Both started the first set with a nine and a 10 – and it looked like the battle was on. But Bae shot a nine with his third arrow while Mete drilled the middle and started to pull away.

Four-nil up and in command, Gazoz needed a 10 with his third arrow of the third set to finish things fast. Again, he delivered.

It was an impressive performance from one of the most promising young stars on the Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit – and with more on the line than just his second stage victory.

The gold moved Mete to a winner’s qualifying spot for the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Moscow. And, by preventing Bae Jaehyeon from filling it, it confirmed two-time World Archery Champion Kim Woojin as a points qualifier.

“Kim and I agreed it would happen this way,” joked Mete. “Everything worked out as planned.”

Gazoz also won recurve men’s team gold with young Turkish squadmates Ali Aydin and Samet Ak at this tournament. And that match was decided with a perfect final arrow from the individual gold medallist, too.

Italy’s Mauro Nespoli, another points qualifier for Moscow, took the recurve men’s bronze medal in Berlin.

He trailed London 2012 Olympic Champion Oh Jin Hyek of Korea after the first set but then shot a series of 29, 28 and 29 points to take the match, 6-2.

It is the third individual medal on the international circuit of Mauro’s career.

He previously took silver in Wroclaw in 2014 and gold in Salt Lake City in 2018. The Italian world number six also finished fourth at the world championships this year.

The fourth stage of the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup took place on 1-7 July in Berlin, Germany.