Kazakhstan win maiden Hyundai World Cup stage gold in Antalya

Andrey Tyutyun and Adel Zhexenbinova etched their names in the Kazakhstan archery history books winning their nation's first ever Hyundai World Cup compound mixed team gold medal in Antalya, Türkiye.

The pair qualified for the finals in yesterday’s eliminations in the international circuit's third stage of the year beating eventual bronze medallists Italy on the way.

It was a near perfect score for Tyutun and Zhexenbinova, who also won bronze together in Shanghai, shooting 158 with each archer dropping a nine.

After being congratulated by the overjoyed Kazakhstan team, 18 year old Tyutun was filled with pride for putting in one of the biggest archery results of all time for his country.

“Both for my mixed team and for our national team, it is a great experience for Kazakhstan and a very big step forward. For me this is a big step forward.”

Like in all world class sport, it was a match of tight margins. Great Britain, comprising of world number one Ella Gibson and recent Conquest Cup silver medallist Ajay Scott, too shot exceptionally high with a total score of 155.

Tyutyun felt his preparation in the last 24 hours played a huge factor in the star making performance. “I had a good night’s sleep, had breakfast and it reflected very well in the shooting. I also tuned my bow before shooting and the work of it felt good.

“I will train further because there is a lot more to come from Kazakhstan,” he added when asked what he expects from himself in the next year.

There could well be more to come from Tyutyun and Zhexenbinova let alone Kazakhstan. With Tyutyun still a teenager and Zhexenbinova shooting her best archery at 24, this particular mixed team could stamp Kazakhstan firmly on the world archery map as major players in the sport.

Earlier, Elia Fregnan also did more than a bit for his nation of Italy, winning two medals in a matter of minutes.

The Lilleshall 2023 champion was a part of the gold medal winning performance by the Italian compound men’s team against Türkiye, a repeat of Essen 2024, and then had to walk straight back into the arena afterwards to complete Italy’s compound mixed team bronze medal match against Colombia. 

“For me it’s confirmation of the work done before the team finals,” said Fregnan who held a block of ice against the back of his neck in the searing Antalya heat.

“I was ok with the second match because I shot earlier with the guys, but it was really hot under my feet.”

India’s formidable compound women’s trio of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur and Aditi Gopichand Swami also won in Türkiye, meaning they have now won every World Cup stage in 2024.

Action continues this afternoon with the compound men and women individual finals which are currently being livestreamed on archery+.