Under-21 champions making the leap in Yankton

For the purposes of this article, Robin Jaatma, the 20-year-old compound man from Estonia, is a guaranteed lock to win individual gold at the Yankton 2021 Hyundai World Archery Championships. 

Jaatma is the reigning under-21 world champion, advanced to the final eight of the compound men’s bracket here in Yankton and, if past results are any indication, performs best when ample pressure is placed upon his young, slender shoulders. 

“When we had the world championships in Poland, I told my mom and everyone I was gonna win it all,” Jaatma said of his junior title in August, when he finished with seven straight 10s to win his second of two titles in Wroclaw.

“For me, if I have more pressure, I shoot better, so I was kind of doing it on purpose. I like it when I’m nervous. I think it’s good for me.”

Jaatma’s confidence is bold, but it isn’t unearned. Archers who win under-21 world titles tend to perform well at the senior world championships of the same year, translating their prodigious gifts into success against archers with considerably more experience. 

Denmark’s Stephan Hansen and Anders Faugstad of Norway collected gold in both events in 2015 and 2019, respectively, setting a precedent for gifted youngsters who are ready to seize the moment, regardless of age. 

Along with Croatia’s Amanda Mlinaric, who in August became the first woman to successfully defend her under-21 compound women’s world title, Jaatma is poised to unify the two events with a major run at Riverside Park. 

“When I’m at the junior championships, I feel more experienced, and when I’m at the senior championships, I feel equal to all the rest,” Mlinaric said when asked to compare the two events. 

“When someone is shooting against you and they know they’re going against the reigning world champion, everybody wants to beat you, but I don’t expect much less of myself if it’s a senior competition. 

“I also want to reach the finals here. The goals are the same.”

Both Jaatma and Mlinaric have already had success on the senior tour. The Estonian won bronze at the Sud de France – Nimes Archery Tournament at the beginning of the year, while the Croatian won two world-ranking events to solidify her standing against her older peers. 

“To me, it means I’m where I’m supposed to be,” Mlinaric said. “There’s a lot of really good people here. I just have to do my best, just like they do, and that’s it.”

For Jaatma, his first opponent on Saturday is an archer who will be unlikely to take him lightly. Ten years ago, at the age of 19, Christopher Perkins announced himself on the senior tour with a victory in his debut at the world championships. 

Perkins was decidedly green at the time, with little experience but plenty of talent to make up for it. 

“It brings back old memories,” Perkins said. “Being here before, doing this before and knowing my capabilities as an archer now versus then, the change I've experienced is substantial.”

There are plenty of parallels to draw between the two, and Jaatma is ready to make a similar leap here in Yankton. 

The 20-year-old claimed he was lucky to make the final eight when looking at his scores, but that speaks to his high standards as much as anything else. 

Even the best archers need a break or two when reaching the medal stand, and good fortune can assist an archer's opponent just as often in competitive matchplay events.

Talent, regardless of age, will make the difference when deciding who takes gold in Yankton.

“I’m really confident,” Jaatma said, perhaps applying an extra layer of motivation for himself. “I don’t really care who my opponent is. If I’m shooting well, I can win them all. I’m excited for everyone to see how good I am.”