Actualités

Slovenia breaks brackets during mixed team eliminations

24 juin 2022

Paris, France

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Ana Umer and Kim Woojin shoot during mixed team eliminations in Paris.

Slovenian pair Ana Umer and Den Habjan threw today’s competition into disarray when they upset the top-ranked Korean recurve mixed team in a shoot-off at the third stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Paris, France.

“At the start of the match, Den said to me, ‘we are three, we can do it, we can beat two’,” said Ana.

Umer and Habjan are a couple – and they’re pregnant, too.

“I was struggling in the first match against Moldova,” she added. “We know if we do our shots we can get a 10 or a nine and no less. So we’re happy.”

After needing a tiebreak to pass their first match, the pair upped their game against Kim Woojin and Lee Gahyun, eventually delivering a fourth set of 39 points to force another shoot-off, this time against the favourites.

Both pairs shot 18 but Den’s 10 was closest to the middle – and Slovenia won the match.

The 17th seeds would then beat a favoured Germany before ultimately falling to Spain in the semifinals. Den and Ana will still get an arena appearance for their hard work when they face the European Champion Netherlands for bronze on Sunday morning at the Chateau de Vincennes.

Spain will take on the USA for the gold medal.

The USA is guaranteed its third consecutive recurve mixed team podium on the international circuit.

Brady Ellison won bronze at the season opener with Gaby Sasai and then silver last month in Gwangju with Casey Kaufhold. Paired with Kaufhold again here in Paris, the second seeds won three tough matches in four sets to make the final.

“I feel pretty good. I think we’re going to get Casey’s first win on Sunday,” said five-time circuit champion Ellison.

“Generally what happens is, in mixed teams, Casey carries me all the way and in finals I don’t do much to help. Today we shot good, I shot really good and Casey shot good and we did what we had to.”

It’s also a first gold medal match appearance for Spain’s Leyre Fernandez, who is paired with current world number one Miguel Alvarino.

France made the compound mixed team final – giving the host nation a guaranteed third podium on Saturday with a maximum of five still available – and will take on India, resurgent with the return of Jyothi Surekha Vennam.

Estonia’s Jaatma siblings, Robin and Lisell, and Great Britain will shoot for bronze.

Competition continues in Paris with recurve eliminations this afternoon.