French compound men beat Denmark to win first stage gold in six years

France’s Pierre-Julien Deloche, Sebastien Peineau and Jean Philippe Boulch beat Denmark, 230-228, to the compound men’s team gold medal at the fourth stage of the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Berlin, Germany.

“Yeah, that’s the best way to finish the season. I’m very, very happy to hear the Marseillaise and have this gold medal,” said Peineau. 

“I’m not personally satisfied with my last arrow but the most important thing is that we were all able to support each other, shoot well and have one more point than the opponent.”

An eight from Stephan Hansen in the first end put Denmark on the back foot.

He recovered and shot middle with his next arrow in the second but Mads Knudsen followed up with an eight of his own as the Danes totalled a match-low 54-point end.

The French team wasn’t perfect but they had built a four-point buffer heading into the last six arrows.

Boulch stepped on the line needing an eight to win with his last arrow. He delivered a nine – and France’s first compound men’s team gold medal on the Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit since the stage in Medellin in 2013.

“After this year’s world championships where we had the ambition of winning a medal but lost prematurely, it feels good to end the season with this gold,” said Deloche.

“With these teammates it was time, we deserved to come back and get it. And with hard work in training, it’s not the last gold medal we will win.”

The USA defeated host Germany in the compound men’s team bronze medal match.

Braden Gellenthien, Kris Schaff and Matt Sullivan opened with a 58-point end and never looked back, dropping a total of seven points over the 24 arrows to finish with 233 points.

It took Germany two ends to get comfortable and match the USA’s level. By that point, it was too late, and the host team lost by four.

The fourth stage of the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup takes place on 1-7 July in Berlin, Germany.