One of last year’s champions took their maiden win at the series final – and they are hungry for more.
James ‘Jimmy’ Lutz won the 2024 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final compound men’s gold in Mexico last year. It was his fourth time at the season-ending event, but the first time he had got past the first round.
He shot four back-to-back 150s on the stage to take the trophy.
The 2019 World Archery Champion is back out on the circuit this year, and on the line on home soil at the first event in Central Florida. Lutz was runner-up to teammate Sawyer Sullivan at the stage in Yecheon last year, and last won an individual stage in Medellin in 2022.
There is, of course, an element of home advantage.
”I am excited to shoot on home soil. This will be my first World Cup in the USA and I’m looking forward to having the home crowd behind me,” said Jimmy.
Lutz is looking to take on, once again, the two men who joined him on the podium in Tlaxcala – Mathias Fullerton and Mike Schloesser - who were also the previous two World Cup Final winners.
“Who am I excited to compete against head to head? It’s definitely gotta be Mike and Mathias. We have had some amazing matches over the years and I’ve always had the mindset that if I want to win I have to shoot against at least one of them,” he said.
Both will also be lining up in Central Florida, alongside Jimmy’s teammate Kris Schaff.
“My goal for the year is to defend my World Cup Final championship. Plain and simple, that’s all I have my mind set on.”
Only two men have previously defended an Archery World Cup Final compound men’s trophy – Sergio Pagni, who defended the 2009 title in 2010, and Schloesser, who won three in a row in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
It will take a major effort outdoors to get to the start line for the final in China this year, but an ambitious Lutz made it clear he wanted his career to go further.
“I would like to become a two-time world champion and to get to world number one. I know that’s some lofty goals but with enough work, I believe I can do it.”
On the strength of his incredible performance in Tlaxcala, it’s most definitely not impossible.
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