Donaueschingen VI podium a British clean sweep

Prowse defeated fellow Brit Peter Price, 6-2, in the 30-metre set system finals for the VI2/3 category, in the cateogry’s first appearance in the World Archery Para Championships since 2009.

Carmel Bassett beat Italian Claudio Peruffo, also 6-2, buoyed by a 23-point second end to make it an all-Great British podium. 

Steve Prowse won the visually impaired gold medal at the world para archery championships, when it was organised by the International Paralympic Committee, in 2007, and added another world crown to his collection in Germany.

“I haven’t come down to the ground yet, I am still a bit shaky,” he said. “It has just been a phenomenal experience. You do all the days of hard work and this is the reason why.” 

On the same day Steve was shooting his final, he turned 57 – and despite admitting to forgetting his own birthday, he was delighted he could celebrate such a timely gold medal.

Prowse was the top seed after scoring 636 in qualifying, 102 points more than his nearest challenger Price, who he beat in the final. The last finals Prowse shot in and won, back in 2007, was not decided in a finals arena – and the difference in atmosphere, he said, was massive.

“It’s probably best I can’t see because it may have been overwhelming, otherwise,” Steve joked.

“But I was so happy to have Peter alongside me in the final. He has worked just as hard and it was one of his best performances. He had me going for a bit!”

Steve won the first set, Peter the second – before Steve zeroed in on the middle and took the back two sets, and the match.

Great Britain also won four medals during the W1 and compound individual finals, three of which came in the W1 category. Jessica Stretton defeated Zhang Lu of China, 130-125, to win the bronze, before Jo Frith lost to another Chinese athlete, Guo Ying, 139-136, in the gold final.

In the W1 men’s competition, 2008 Paralympic Champion David Drahoninsky beat John Walker, 143-136, to gold. John Stubbs claimed Britain’s fourth and last medal of the morning, when he was victorious over Australian Jonathon Milne, 136-128, to claim compound men’s open bronze.

Frith and Walker added individual silver’s to their W1 mixed team gold in Donaueschingen.

“It was mine and John’s first world championship,” she said after the individual finals. “And to come away with a gold and silver is a fantastic feeling.”

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