Mexico’s recurve men beat the USA to Toronto team gold – marking the States’ first loss in the event in 10 Pan American Games since 1979 – and Luis Alvarez’s first gold medal of the event.
He put himself in line for more silverware by beating Zach Garrett in the individual semifinals. Garrett made his international debut with the USA in 2014 and was the top seeded recurve man at the tournament.
Alvarez’s opponent in the gold medal match would be another US archer: Three-time Archery World Cup Final Champion Brady Ellison.
Despite his pedigree, Brady started slow – and quickly found himself on the end of a 4-0 scoreline.
His experience showed in the third set: Three perfect 10s as Alvarez’s impressive start faded and Brady clawed the match back to 4-2.
Luis found the middle again in the fourth and, with his final arrow, needed a 10 to secure the medal. He shot a nine, but out of the 20 second time limit for each arrow, meaning he lost the highest scoring arrow of the set. It handed Ellison the two set points and levelled the match at four apiece.
“I was just one second late but it was okay, let’s go for the next set,” said Alvarez after the match.
The Mexican athlete responded perfectly, putting his first two arrows into the middle – while Brady could only manage a triplet of nines. Alvarez put his final arrow of the match into the 10-ring and the match was done: 6-4 and a second Toronto gold medal secured.
Canada’s Jay Lyon beat Garrett in the bronze medal match.
Bronze medallist at the Pan Am Games eight years prior in Rio de Janeiro, Ana Maria Rendon won herself a gold medal match berth when she beat reigning Archery World Cup Final Champion Aida Roman in their recurve women’s semifinal clash.
Ana’s Colombian team had already won gold at the Pan Ams over Roman’s celebrated Mexican women.
Rendon faced the USA’s Khatuna Lorig – looking to secure the States’ only title of the tournament – in the individual final.
Lorig recently hit headlines by posing for ESPN’s Body Issue.
Her headlines in Toronto were purely for performance on the field, as the five-time Olympian cruised to a 6-2 win over Rendon.
“It’s a dream come true,” Inside the Games reported Lorig as saying. “I can’t wait to have that at the Olympics and the world championships, that beautiful song, that anthem played for me.”
Karla Hinojosa beat Mexican teammate and Olympic silver medallist Aida Roman to recurve women’s bronze.
