World number one Stephan Hansen became the second person in history after Mike Schloesser to shoot a perfect 600-point indoor ranking round at a world record status tournament in the north of Spain on 4 November 2017.
“My nerves started after 45 arrows. I started thinking that I might be able to do it, but I focused on maintaining good shots,” said the 22-year-old Dane. “I’d already shot 45 10s in a row and there was only 15 more to go!”
“This 600 shows that I can shoot good and I’m looking forward to the start of the Indoor World Cup in Marrakesh next Saturday.”
Hansen was World Archery Champion in 2015 and came within a single-arrow shoot-off of defending his title in Mexico City in October, but lost a tiebreaker in the final to France’s Sebastien Peineau.
World number three Schloesser, who was compound men’s world champion before Hansen, shot the first perfect 18-metre 60-arrow ranking round at the Indoor Archery World Cup stage in Nimes in 2015.
No-one else is known to have achieved the feat in competition since.
“Of course, it was easier for me because Mike did it first,” said Hansen. “His 600 is still better because it was the first.”
Since there are no Xs indoors, Mike’s world record will never be beaten.
So, while Hansen’s name won’t be added to the record books, the score goes down as yet another incredible achievement in the young career of one of this generation’s most successful international archers.
