Kroppen off German team for Europeans but Paris line-up pending

Reigning European runner-up Michelle Kroppen won’t compete at the continental championships next month in Essen after coming fourth in selections for the event.

Instead, Charline Schwarz, Katharina Bauer and Elisa Tartler will defend the home nation’s team title.

“It speaks for the broad quality of the women’s squad that Michelle was unable to qualify for the European Championships in Essen,” said German head coach Oliver Haidn.

But Kroppen’s hopes for a second Olympics aren’t over. The reigning World Archery Champion team’s line-up for Paris 2024 won’t be announced until after the second stage of this year’s Hyundai Archery World Cup in Yecheon, Korea.

“Everything is still open for the four women. I’m sure we’ll see a lot more from Michelle in the coming weeks,” said Haidn.

European Games Champion Florian Unruh heads the men’s line-up for the championships.

Shaking up the roster is 20-year-old youth world medallist Mathias Kramer, who appeared at his first World Cup events last season, alongside Moritz Wieser. Maximilian Weckmüller is the fourth.

“The potential is there, and Mathias has definitely shaken up the established field a bit,” said Haidn.

While the women already have three Olympic spots, the German men only have one – thanks to Unruh’s European Games victory – and need to upgrade to a full team quota by winning the Europeans or at the final qualifier in Antalya in June.

Header image courtesy of German archery federation.

German squad for 2024

• Recurve men: Mathias Kramer*, Florian Unruh*, Moritz Wieser* and Maximilian Weckmüller.
• Recurve women: Katharina Bauer*, Charline Schwarz*, Elisa Tartler* and Michelle Kroppen.

*The archers competing at the 2024 European Championships in Essen, Germany.