Schloesser shoots perfect final to take GT Open gold and World Series lead

Mike Schloesser took his second consecutive podium and first win of the 2020 Indoor Archery World Series after beating Mario Vavro with a perfect 150 points in the compound men’s final at the GT Open in Luxembourg.

“I felt really confident in what I did and how I was shooting. I knew I just needed to be normal to keep it in the 10,” said Mike.

“I think I shot two nines in the tournament. It’s an upgrade on the last competition [in Macau]; I shot three nines there. I will shoot that perfect competition, it’s gonna happen for sure.”

(He shot two nines in elimination matches, three in total at the GT Open.)

Schloesser was the first person to complete a perfect, 600-point ranking round in competition. Nobody has ever cleaned an entire indoor tournament (135 arrows; 60 in qualification and five matches).

Having taken a second place at the Macau Open and victory in Luxembourg, the Dutch world number two leads the elite ranking of this Indoor Archery World Series.

He has 400 points. His TRUBall/Axcel indoor teammate Kris Schaff – who won Macau – is second on 250.

The other three categories have ties at the top, with Sophie Dodemont, Crispin Duenas and Kim Young Kyeong – champions at the GT Open – joining the winners of the first event.

Dodemont defeated Janine Meissner in a shoot-off, 10-9, in the compound women’s final. Meissner tied the new world record shot by Ella Gibson at this tournament during her own qualification.

Kim Young Kyeong beat Olympic Champion and LH professional teammate Chang Hye Jin, 6-4, in the recurve women’s gold medal match.

She said LH would next compete in Nimes.

The recurve men‘s final saw 19-year-old Willem Bakker make a run at the title from the number eight seed. He came up just short against Crispin Duenas.

The latter dropped just one point in 12 arrows as he took victory, 6-2.

"I shot with Willem on my target during the qualification round. I knew I had to shoot very, very well to beat him,” said Duenas.

“I had one shot I’d like to have back but the match went in my favour anyways.”

The Indoor Archery World Series is a collection of mass participation events held around the world.

As well as an elite ranking that determines which athletes qualify for the Indoor Archery World Series Finals, everyone who competes in one of the four circuit categories is entered into an open ranking. This uses each archer’s three best qualification results across the season.

Jerome Bidault leads the recurve men’s open ranking after two events with 1161 points, Gabriela Bayardo’s 1140 is top in the recurve women’s list and Sarah Prieels – on 1182 – is the compound woman in the first position.

Mike Schloesser is the only archer that tops both elite and open rankings. He has 1199 points (600 and 599) across two qualifications.

The 2020 Indoor Archery World Series continues at the TRUBall/Axcel Roma Archery Trophy on 14/15 December.

The second event of the 2020 Indoor Archery World Series is the GT Open on Friday 22 to Sunday 24 November 2019.