Prediction time: Medellin 2014 compound finals

Compound team finals at Medellin 2014 start at 11am local time (COT) with the team gold and bronze matches. The afternoon session – mixed team and individual finals – start at 3pm local, and everything will be live on Archery TV.

Compound men’s individual gold (afternoon session): MUNOZ (COL) versus ELZINGA (NED)

Daniel MUNOZ told reporters he lost his nerves after his second eliminations match because he just didn’t expect anything more. He got a lot more: the super-experienced Peter ELZINGA in the gold medal match.

World record holder over the 1440 round, the 144-arrow qualification that used to be used at international events, ELZINGA was European Champion all the way back in 2004. His last World Cup medal was a silver at the Ogden 2012 stage, in the year that he made the World Cup Final.

His Colombian opponent meanwhile, has never made a stage finals – but is the host nation’s only individual representative over the weekend. It goes against all logic, but he might just pull out a win…

Advantage: MUNOZ

Compound men’s individual bronze (afternoon session): ALVARADO (MEX) versus WILDE (USA)

Another Americas archer shooting in his first individual final, Gerardo ALVARADO has a little more experience in front of the crowd – having won multiple team and mixed team event medals.

Nowhere near as many as Reo WILDE, though. The most decorated archer in World Cup history won the first ever tour final at Mexico 2006, has a plethora of stage trophies – including a gold medal from Medellin 2013, last year’s leg here – and won double-gold at the Cali 2013 World Games.

It’s tough to believe that WILDE surrenders this bronze to the 25 seed in this competition… 

Advantage: WILDE

Compound women’s individual gold (afternoon session): CERNE (SLO) versus JONES (USA)

Reo WILDE won his mixed team title at Cali 2013 with Erika JONES – who won the women’s event there, too. (It was a USA clean sweep.) She’s a three-time Archery World Cup Finalist, won the 2011 edition in Istanbul and got silver in Medellin last year.

She also beat archrival Albina LOGINOVA in a one-arrow shoot-off to make this final.

It’ll be a boost of confidence in a match against a bit of a wildcard. Toja CERNE could do absolutely anything – she’s the unknown in this pairing. It’s her first ever individual senior final – though she’s had mixed team silver in the past – and this in a week in which she lost her bow in the airport.

Still, JONES is looking a little like she needs this gold.

Advantage: JONES

Compound women’s individual bronze (afternoon session): VAN CASPEL (NED) versus LOGINOVA (RUS)

Relegated to the bronze match by a few millimeters, Albina LOGINOVA has been to the gold medal match at the world championships the last four – that’s FOUR – times in a row. (And won two of them.)

Inge VAN CASPEL is… a relative newbie. It’s her second Archery World Cup season, and her first shot an Archery World Cup podium.

Advantage: LOGINOVA

Compound men’s team gold (morning session): USA versus Netherlands

Gold in Shanghai, gold in Medellin for the USA? Not so fast: team Orange has not made a stage medal match in two years, and their last gold came at Antalya 2009, but…

…if anyone’s going to stave off the 10-train that is the USA compound men, who made the final of every single stage in 2013, it’s going to be the on-a-roll Netherlands.

Advantage: Netherlands

Compound women’s team gold (morning session): USA versus Colombia

The match that no-one should dare predict.

In favour of the USA team:

They won Shanghai 2014. They made every stage gold medal match last year, but only won one… …by beating Colombia at Medellin 2013!

In favour of Colombia:

They are the reigning world champions. They lost in the gold medal match at Medellin 2013… …to the formidable USA!

We dare you to pick.

Advantage: Push

Compound mixed team gold (afternoon session): France versus Netherlands

It’s at least one better than Shanghai for French pair PJ DELOCHE – currently the  world’s number one compound man – and Sophie DODEMONT, who had bronze in China. This is their third consecutive event shooting together – and they are, without a doubt, formidable.

Young archers Mike SCHLOESSER and Inge VAN CASPEL are also shooting at their third event together in the mixed team. They’ve not had any silverware yet, though – although VAN CASPEL did win bronze with ELZINGA at Wroclaw, stage four, last year. 

Advantage: France

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