Demmer III, Istvan upset World Games winners in Wroclaw

Hungary’s Istvan Kakas and John Demmer III, from the USA, defeated Erik Jonsson and Giuseppe Seimandi in the barebow men’s shoot-up eliminations to make the semifinals at the 2017 World Games in Wroclaw. Jonsson won the event in 2001 and 2005, Seimandi in 2009 and 2013.

“I defeated one of the favourites to be in the finals for the first time ever,” said Istvan. “I wanted to shoot as I normally do in practice, which is shooting one arrow at a time.”

John said: “[My] match against Giuseppe was kind of intense. I was never that far apart, so we kinda knew that any given time he could easily catch up or visceversa. It was a good match, though.”

Kakas and Demmer join Spain’s David Garcia Fernandez and Swede Martin Ottosson in the final four.

An international barebow shooter since 2001, Istvan had never made a world-level semifinal before and finished fifth at the previous edition of the World Games in Cali, Colombia.

“My goal was to make the final four,” said Kakas. “So I guess the rest will be extra. This year, with the new competition format, I got the chance to go further. It’s been good, really good for me today.”

Istvan first beat Michael Fisher, from Australia, by eight points, then met Jonsson, against whom he took victory, 83-77. 

The Hungarian archer will shoot his semifinal against top seed David Garcia.

“David is my friend and, curiously, just before we started the elimination matches he told me: ‘I’m waiting for you’. I think it will be nice to shoot it against him. I’m wearing a cap he gave me in the last world championships, this is how good friends we are,” Istvan said.

World Field Archery Championships team gold medallist John Demmer III defeated defending World Games Champion Seimandi, 79-76. After five targets, John had a six-point lead, but a one on the last target made things a little closer.

It didn’t matter in the end.

Giuseppe’s last two arrows were a three and a two. John’s, a three and four, enough to win the match, 79-76.

The barebow field archery competitions at the 2017 World Games run 26-28 July in Wroclaw, Poland.