The USA’s Paige Pearce Gore and Kris Schaff will contest the compound individual gold medals at the second stage of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya, Turkey, with a shot to qualify for the circuit final in Samsun at the end of the season.
A rule introduced at the start of 2018 automatically qualifies stage winners to the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final, up to a maximum of two per country.
“It’s obviously a goal of all of us here on the World Cup circuit so that’s going to be in the back of my mind, but really my goal this entire week is make every shot count and never shoot a shot that I look back and I wish I didn’t,” said Pearce Gore.
The 23-year-old from California seeded sixth in qualifying and faces host nation representative Yesim Bostan in the final.
“I always like it when the matches are loud and there’s cheering so I think we’re going to have some of that. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Kris Schaff’s final in Antalya against world number four Mike Schloesser will be the Montana-based archer’s first arena match outdoors.
Schaff beat teammate Braden Gellenthien, who in turn dispatched Schloesser in the bronze medal match at stage one, in a semifinal shoot-off.
“To actually be shooting off against him is good for me. It helps me strive to shoot better, because I know what he’s going to throw up there,” said Schaff.
Mike didn’t shoot the best match of his career against Gellenthien in Shanghai but Schaff said he wasn’t arriving in the final with any sense of advantage.
“I don’t think so. Mike can shoot 150 any day of the week, and a bunch of Xs, too,” he said.
“I’m excited for it. I’ve already shot off against Mike three times this year.”
The second stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup takes place in Antalya, Turkey on 20-26 May.
